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DICTICr?tAR^^ 



OF 




THE CHURCH, 



CONTAINING AN EXPOSITION OF 

TERMS, PHRASES AND SUBJECTS CONNECTED WITH THE EXTERNAL 
ORDER, SACRAMENTS, WORSHIP AND USAGES 

OF THE 

PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 

WITH 
AN ESPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE CHURCH IN THE 



REV. WM. STAUNTON. 

■"thisalsow^wish, even your perfection.''— 2 Cor. siii. 9. 



NEW-YORK: 

PUBLISHED BY SHERMAN & TREVETT, 

AT THE PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL PRESS, 
142 Fulton stree t. 

1839. ^ 




n 






Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1838, by 
William Staunton, in the office of the Clerk of the Southern Dis- 
trict of New- York. 



3rJi^ 



Stationerg' Hall Press. 



PREFACE. 



The design of the present work is chiefly to illustrate and 
explain, in a familiar manner, the external Order, Customs, 
and Language of the Church. The writer has, therefore, 
confined himself mainly to these, without touching directly 
on the higher ground of the doctrinal characteristics of the 
Church, except in those articles where the close connection 
of these with the outward administration of the sanctuary 
furnished a justifiable reason for digression. 

The scope of the work is such as necessarily to embrace 
many points of importance, already made familiar through 
the periodical press, or by the expositions of writers ever 
ready to consecrate their services to the Church. With the 
province of these, it is not the object of the present sketches 
to interfere. We offer the outline ; others have given the 
finished picture. And the reader whose interest this little 
volume may have excited, will equally gratify himself and 
the writer, by renewing his investigations in the more elabo- 
rate works of others. 

Yet it has long been felt that a chasm existed in the ele- 
mentary literature of the Church, which could only be filled 



IV PREFACE. 

by a brief, but definite, explanation of terms and phrases 
every where interwoven with the language, and identified 
with the usages and customs of our institutions. A work of 
easy reference was required, in which every facility should 
be given for immediate information on topics constantly pre- 
senting themselves. Words and peculiarities of expression 
also, in no trifling number, bearing relation to our ecclesias- 
tical forms and arrangements, imperfectly understood by 
some, and totally without meaning to others — words whose 
import could not be found without recurring to books not 
always accessible, made it desirable that some compendious 
exposition should offer itself as a guide and vade mecum to 
the Episcopal community. With this object, and in the ab- 
sence of any similar work, the present Ecclesiastical Manual 
was projected, and is now respectfully offered to the Church. 

It has been the aim of the writer, to notice the greater 
portion of the words requiring explanation in the Prayer- 
book, the Canons, and other standards of the Church. In 
addition to these, various other articles have been introduced, 
on- topics of interest, in connection with the institutions of 
the Church, and a considerable number of words, scarcely 
requiring notice in the case of adult readers, have been 
inserted with a special reference to young persons. 

The vocabulary embraces — 1. Such words as relate to the 
Ministry, Sacraments, Worship, Discipline, Usages, &c. of 
the Church. 2. Obsolete words and phrases occurring in 
the Prayer-book, &c. 3. Expressions liable to misconstrue 
' tion on the part of those not yet familiar with the doctrines 
and views of the Church. 4. A few words of frequent occur- 



PREFACE- V 

fence in Ecclesiastical and other works, but not directly 
appertaining to the Protestant Episcopal Church. ^ 

The work, as before hinted, does not profess to be a Theo- 
logical or Bible Dictionary, in the ordinary use of the term. 
Yet, so near and intimate is the relation between the exter- 
nal offices of the Church, and the " better things " which 
await the devout worshippei' — so immutable is the connection 
between the faithful use of divine means, and the sure enjoy- 
ment of divine Messing, that nothing but violence could 
sunder what God had so joined ; and thus, occasions have 
offered for spiritual improvement, too frequent not to relieve 
the dreaded apprehension of technical wearisomeness. Thus, 
in illustrating the Church, we have been led to contemplate 
her divine Head. In describing the Spouse, we have not 
forgotten the Bridegroom. And as He is " Head over all 
things to the Church," in Him we have sought to make all 
things centre and unite. In doing this, we have seen abun- 
dantly the spiritual tendency of the Church, and all the credit 
we claim is, that we have followed faithfully her heavenly 
guiding. 

To the reader we now commit our labors, which, we trust, 
have been pursued with the single hope and purpose of doing 
good. If we have merited attention, we are thankful. If we 
have at all enlightened the intellect, we rejoice. But if we 
have kindled the heart, we offer upon it the best and earliest 
incense of gratitude and praise. 

W. S. 

New-York, November 3, 1838. 



DICTIONARY OF THE CHURCH. 



A. 

Abbe^. a title of the same import with Abbot, and applied 
to the head of a religious house for males. In the Church of 
France, this title has long lost its appropriate signification, 
and been assumed by a class of secular persons, neither pos- 
sessing nor looking forward to ecclesiastical office or em- 
ployment. 

Abbess. The superior of a nunnery, or other religious 
community consisting of females. The authority of an 
abbess in the house over which she presides, is similar to 
that of an abbot in a community of males, except in her 
inability to perform the spiritual functions of the priesthood. 

Abbey. A monastic house, or series of buildings, subject 
to the government of an abbot or abbess, and therefore con- 
tradistinguished from priories, hospitals, &;c. 

The term appears to have been first applied to communi- 
ties of monks or nuns over which abbots or abbesses presided, 
and to have been subsequently transferred to the buildings 
themselves. Abbeys were anciently of varied extent and 
arrangement, according to the wealth and importance of their 
respective establishments. The mitred abbeys were the most 



O • ABBEY. 

eminent; those who presided over them having (like the 
bishops,) seats in Parliament, by virtue of the baronies at- 
tached to their station.* 

In former days, the wealth and influence of many of these 
establishments was very great. Som^ idea of this may be 
formed from the extensive and magnificent structures which 
Sprung up in Europe during the prevalence of monastic power, 
and from the princely splendor and exquisite taste displayed in 
the rearing and decoration of the once glorious fabrics now 
mouldering under the hand of time, or laid in ruins by a less par- 
donable destroyer. With the morals of these institutions, we do 
not intend here to meddle. Their history, if true, is a terjible 
evidence of human wickedness in high and sacred places ; a 
record of the most astounding perversion the world has ever 
known, of edifices and communities founded for holy purposes, 
to the encouragement of every thing revolting, impure, and 
heathenish. But, however this may be, even if they were dark 
as midnight within, while pure as a robe of light without, com* 
mon sense (not to say intelligent piety) will ever wonder at 
the stupidity and utter folly of that mob-like fury which 
involved in "one general wreck, without a particle of discrimi- 
nation, the communities themselves, and the consecrated 
sanctuaries they had so wretchedly abused. For once, sacri- 
lege and theft became virtues, and the rapacity of a mon- 
arch was not to be satisfied till the very altars and sacristies 
were plundered of their gold; and the vessels, ornaments, 
and elaborate works of art, which the beneficence of ages 
had brought together, were confiscated and recklessly squan- 
dered, as a peace-offering to an ambition more lustful than 
vandalism itself. " Methinks," says Butler, " our too zealous 
innovators were not so well advised in that general subver- 
sion of abbeys and religious houses, promiscuously to fling 
down all. They might have taken away those gross abuses 

* Britton's Arch. Antiq, 



ABBEY. 9 

crept in among them, rectified such inconveniences, and not 
so far to have raved and raged against those fair buildings 
and everlasting monuments of our forefathers' devotion, con- 
secrated to pious uses."* 

This is very true, but somewhat tame. King Henry had 
a deeper game to play than the " rectifying of inconven- 
iences." The dismantling of these edifices was the opening 
a mine of wealth too fruitful to be spared, even at the cost of 
a thorough desecration of the noblest temples man ever built 
to his Maker. " Unprincipled rapacity * * * was the true cause 
of the suppression of the religious houses in the reign of 
Henry VIII. Had they possessed no estates to whet and fix 
individual appetite," (continues a writer, with stinging sar- 
casm,) " it is somewhat probable that the alleged corruption of 
their inmates would not have much disturbed the conscience 
even of that pure-minded monarch, and his disinterested 
courtiers. "f Whether this suggestion be true or not, a wiser 
policy than that of Henry might have carried the Reforma- 
tion, as it respected the abbeys, &;c. to a better issue. The 
gold and the silver were the Lord's, and so were the " long- 
drawn aisles and fretted roofs" now bowed down in desolation 
and overgrown with decay. From these, superstition and 
immorality might have been effectually banished, and the 
services of a purer faith introduced ; services which would 
have hallowed -and redeemed the places, and filled their 
courts with men who had learned to worship God " in spirit 
and in truth." 

The number of monasteries in England, at the period of 
the Reformation, has been variously estimated. According 
to Bishop Tanner,:^: it would appear that " by the act of Par- 
liament, passed in 1535, about 380 religious houses, having 



* Anatomy of Melancholy. 

t Qaarterly Review, (London,) 1830 — p. 111. 

t Notitia Monastica. 



10 ABB 

a less revenue than £200 a year, were dissolved. From 
these, the crown derived a revenue of £32,000, besides plate 
and jewels to the value of about £100,000. By a subsequent 
act passed in 1539, all the remaining monasteries were sup- 
pressed, to the number of 186 ; the revenues of these 
amounted to £100,000 per annum. Besides the monasteries, 
48 houses of the knights' hospitallers of St. John were also 
confiscated to the crown." 

Abbot. The superior of an abbey or religious community 
of males. " The word ahbot, or ahbat, as it has been some- 
times written, comes from abhatis, the genitive of abhas, 
which is the Greek and Latin form of the Syriac abha, of 
which the original is the Hebrew ab, father." The history 
of Abbots furnishes a remarkable instance of the acquire- 
ment of power by successive degrees, till it amounted to a 
species of despotism, and set at nought, in many cases, the 
legitimate authority of the episcopate itself. Originally, the 
abbot was simply the chief or head of an association of lay 
monks, under the immediate jurisdiction of the bishop of the 
diocese, and the priest of the parish. Before the close of the 
sixth century ,^ the monks were frequently admitted to the 
clerical office, and the abbot acquired the rank of a chief 
priest, or, technically, an archimandrite or hegumenos. 
Subsequently, the abbots claimed a degree of dignity closely 
allied to that of a bishop, and were permitted to assume the 
mitre and crosier, the latter being carried in the right hand, 
to distinguish them from the bishops, who carried theirs in 
the left. Finally, attempts were made, by the more ambitious, 
to throw off entirely the authority of their bishops, and with 
such success, that, in certain cases, charters were obtained 
for abbeys, recognizing their independence, and lodging 
supreme power in the abbot. With this, the title of " Lord " 
was associated, and, in their exemption from episcopal juris- 
diction, the pomp and luxury of nobility early characterized 
the mitred abbots. At the present day, much of the dignity 



ABS 



11 



of the office, and the splendor of its appendages, have passed 
away, together with the standing and influence of the estab- 
hshments to which they belonged. 

Abbreviations. In the Calendar, and in other parts of 
the Book of Common Prayer, several words and titles have, 
for convenience, been shortened or abbreviated, by the omis- 
sion of letters. The following list may not be without its 
use : — 



Chr. - . Christmas. 


V. M. . . 


Virgin Mary 


Ep. or Epiph. Epiphany. 


Ev. or E. . 


Evangelist. 


Sep. . . Septuagesima. 


A. or Apos. 


Apostle. 


Sex. . . Sexagesima. 


Min. . . 


Minister. 


Quin. . . Quinquagesima. 


Quest. . 


Question. 


Eas. . - Easter. 


Ans. 


Answer. 


Asc. . . Ascension. 


Ch. . . 


Chapter. 


Tr. or Trin. Trinity. 


V. , . . 


verse. 


S. . . . Sunday. 


to V. . . 


to the verse. 


S. or St. . Saint. 


Art. . . 


Article. 


Wk. . . Week. 


A. M. . . 


Apostle and 


D. . . Day. 




Martyr. 



To these may be added — A. M. Anno Mundi, (in the 
year of the world) ; A. C. Ante Christum, (before Christ,) 
or Anno Christi, (in the year of Christ;) B. D. Bachelor of 
Divinity ; A. B. Bachelor of Arts ; D. D. Doctor of Divin- 
ity ; S. T. D. Doctor of Sacred Theology. 

Absolution. In the ecclesiastical sense, a " loosing from 
sin," equivalent to the remission or forgiveness of sin. The 
term is popularly used, by abbreviation, for the forms in the 
daily service of the Church, and in the Communion Office, 
entitled " The Declaration of Absolution," &c. 

The existence of a power in the priesthood to minister 
absolution, is one of those things which the Church assumes 
as an incontestible fact, the warrant for which is drawn from 
those remarkable words of Christ : " Whose-soever sins ye 



12 ABSOLUTION. 

remit, they are remitted," &;c.* In consequence of this 
grant, the Church does not hesitate to assert the possession 
of this authority, in the words, " Almighty God, the Father 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, * * * * hath given power and 
commandment to his ministers, to declare and pronounce to 
his people, being penitent, the absolution and remission of 
their sins." And in the form for the " Ordering of Priests," 
the Bishop, as the agent for perpetuating the ministry with its 
appropriate functions, confers this power, in the words, 
" Receive the Holy Ghost for the office and work of a priest 
in the Church of God, &c. Whose sins thou dost forgive, they 
are forgiven : and whose sins thou dost retain, they are re- 
tained," &;c. 

From this, it is most evident that, by the power of absolv- 
ing penitents, the Church means something, (to say the least,) 
otherwise the assertion of its existence, the conferring of it 
in ordination, and the future exercise of it in the ministra- 
tions of the sanctuary, are not only formal and superstitious, 
but impious, profane, and blasphemous. And that the Church 
not only means something by absolution, but that she esteems 
this act as one of a very peculiar and solemn nature, may be 
deduced from these further considerations. 

1. The Church, universally and in all ages, has claimed the 
power of absolution as an integral part of the priestly office. 

2. While the Church admits deacons to preach, baptize, 
and perform other ecclesiastical offices, yet she acknow- 
ledges no power in them to administer absolution. " The 
benediction or absolution of the penitent faithful," says 
Palmer, " has always been committed to bishops and presby- 
ters in the Christian Church. "f 

3. The Church has ever recognized this as an act totally 
distinct from the mere announcing of God's mercy in ser- 

* John XX. 23. 

t Origines Liturgicse, I. p. 107. 



ABSOLUTION. 13 

mens, &c. " This remission of sins granted here to the 
priest, to which God hath promised a confirmation in heaven, 
i£ not the act of preaching, or baptizing, or admitting men to 
the Holy Communion, as you may see in Matthew x. 7, and 
John iv. 2, and 1 Cor. xi. All these powers were granted 
before our Saviour's resurrection. But this power of remit- 
ting sins, mentioned John xx., was not granted (although pro- 
mised, Matt. xvi. 19,) till now, that is, after the resurrection, 
as appears first, by the ceremony of Breathing, signifying 
that then it was given ; and secondly by the word Receive, 
used in that place, verse 22, which he could not properly have 
used, if they had been endued with this power before. 
Therefore, the power of remitting, which here God autho- 
rizes, and promises certain assistance to, is neither preaching 
nor baptizing, but some other way of remitting, namely, that 
which the Church calls Absolution."* 

4. The circumstances connected with the act are also 
worthy of observation. It is to be " pronounced " or " de- 
clared,"! not merely said, hereby indicating authority. It is 
to be pronounced by the priest alone, in the daily service, 
and, in the Communion, by the lishop, if present. It is to be 
ministered by the priest standing, though immediately before 
and after, he is to kneel ; and while the priest pronounces it, 
the people are to continue kneeling. It is not to be used at 
all, till both priest and people have humbly confessed their 
sins. The inevitable deduction from all these considerations, 
is, (as we have said before,) that absolution, in the view of 
the Church, is no figment or formality, but an act of an 
authoritative, solemn, and highly peculiar character. 

We have put the matter in this simple inductive form, and 
drawn from it the most gentle inference possible, in order that 
the way may be cleared for the main inquiry, " What is the 

* Pisliop Sparrow's Rationale. 

t See the wording of the larger form of Absolution. 

2 



14 ABSOLUTION. 

act of absolution ?" or, " What particular spiritual benefit does 
the Church suppose it confers ?" In approaching this ques- 
tion, we beg the reader to bear in mind the substance of the 
foregoing remarks. Let him bring together the dignity of 
the language — the solemnity of the manner — the singularity 
of the adjuncts — the directness, force, and importance which 
characterize the declaration of absolution, and, we appre- 
hend, he must come to the conclusion, either that the Church 
has engrafted in her liturgy a piece of serious mummery, 
(a supposition which no intelligent Churchman would enter- 
tain for a moment,) or, that she intends to inculcate and 
carry out such views of this portion of her services, as will 
sustain and justify the serious air she has thrown around it. 

The principal opinions respecting the Absolution, may be 
stated under four heads : — 

The first, is that which restricts it to the removal of eccle- 
siastical censures, and regards it only as connected with the 
outward discipline of the Church. However this may be 
included in the judicial form of absolution in the English 
Prayer Book,* it is certain that it meets neither the language 
nor the spiritual drift of the forms in the public service. 
The first of these, avows a certain authority delegated to the 
minister " to declare and pronounce" to the penitent, remis- 
sion of sins, on the ground that God " desireth not the death 
of a sinner^'' &c. And the whole of both forms manifestly 
relates, not to offences against the Church, but to sins against 
God ; not to delinquencies to be met by ecclesiastical disci- 
pline, but to moral transgressions of a deeper stain, crimi- 
nating and condemning the soul. This view of the matter 
is, therefore, too superficial and limited for the scope and 
language of the forms we are considering. Besides, if they 
relate simply to a release from Church censures, the question 

* See the office for the ♦♦Visitation of the Sick," in the English 
Prayer-book. 



ABSOLUTION. ' 15 

may well be asked, " Why are they embodied at all in the 
services of the Church, not to say, constantly used, even 
when no one present may be under the species of discipline 
here supposed ?" 

A second opinion regards the absolution as a public decla- 
ration of the promises of God to penitent sinners, or, in 
other words, as an emphatic announcement, before the con- 
gregation, of the scriptural terms of forgiveness. But if we 
adopt this view, we inevitably confound absolution with the 
preaching or public reading of the Scriptures, two things 
which, as already shown, the Church keeps entirely distinct. 
Besides, if the absolution be nothing more than a simple pro- 
clamation of divine mercy, we are brought again to the 
question, " Why should the Church deny, in the most pe- 
remptory terms, any license to lay-readers and deacons, to 
use these forms ?" The Church invariably makes it a 'priestly 
act ; while the plain statement of the fact, that " when the 
wicked man turneth away from his wickedness, &c., he shall 
save his soul alive," together with even more direct and am- 
ple exhibitions of the terms of pardon, are recognized as 
within the province of any private Christian, and, for their 
announcement, ordination is never demanded. It is remark- 
able also that, in the administration of the communion, if a 
bishop be present, the rubric assigns him the absolution and 
benediction, though the priest may proceed in the consecra- 
tion of the elements, and even their distribution " to the 
bishops, priests, and deacons," &;c. From these considera- 
tions we infer, that the present opinion cannot be sustained 
as fully expressive of the sense of the Church in her form of 
absolution, much less will it serve as an interpretation of the 
texts on which this form and this branch of the priestly 
office are grounded. 

The third opinion is that of the Church of Rome, which 
regards absolution as the actual forgiveness of sins, by virtue 
of the sacerdotal authority. To prevent any misstatement 



16 ABSOLUTION. 

here, we offer the following quotations from a Roman Catho- 
lic work, in which the writer had every motive to make his 
statements in the most moderate and conciliating tone. 
And we do this in preference to appealing to the authoritative 
decisions of the Romish Church, because we have here an 
informal interpretation of those decisions, by a bishop and 
controversialist of that Church, which is of more value to 
us, in the present case, than the decisions themselves. It 
will be observed in what follows, that the intervention of the 
priest is made necessary to the pardon of sin. " If the con- 
fession made to God alone were sufficient, Jesus Christ would 
have given to his ministers the power of absolving to no pur- 
pose, because the first means being more easy, and of as cer- 
tain an effect, it is clear that sinners would be perfectly satis- 
fied with it ; therefore our Saviour would not have spoken 
the truth, when he promised to his substitutes, that whatever 
they should bind upon earth, should be bound also in heaven ; 
because in spite of all their bonds, sinners would become free 
and unshackled, by turning themselves directly to God,^^^ 
" We see clearly, that by investing his ministers with the 
power of binding and loosing, he attaches to this power the 
promise of pardon : but we no where read that he has attach- 
ed it to confession made only to God.'^'f " In order to obtain 
the pardon of his [the penitent's] faults, it is no longer sufficient 
for him, to lament them in himself, and before God ; he must, 
also, when it can be done, humble himself so far as to confess 
them without disguise, and to the best of his power, in order 
to receive the benefit of sacerdotal absolution.":}: It is 
scarcely necessary to say, that the extravagant claim here 



* " An Amicable Discussion,*' &c. by the Rt. Rev. J. F. M. Tre- 
vern, D,D„ Bishop of Strasburgh, (late of Aire.) Baltimore edition. 
Vol.2, p. 109. 

t Ibid. p. 110. t Ibid. p. 111. 



ABSOLUTION. 17 

advanced, finds no countenance in the formularies of the Pro- 
testant Episcopal Church. The language of the absolution 
ascribes the act of forgiveness solely to God. " He pardon - 
eth and absolveth," &c. " Almighty God * * * * pardon 
and deliver you from all your sins," &c. So also, in various 
places of the liturgy ; as in the three Collects for Ash Wed- 
nesday, where the Church has expressed herself with an 
energy evidently directed against abuses on this very point.* 
The first Collect has these words : " that we may obtain of 
thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission Siiid forgiveness,^^ 
(fee. The two following are taken from the " Commination" 
office of the Church of England, and are levelled against pri- 
vate confession, and the corrupt view of absolution ; thus — . 
" O Lord * * * * spare all those who confess their sins unto 
THEE ; that they whose consciences by sin are accused, by 
THY merciful pardon may be absolved,''^ &c. Again, " Thy 
property is always to have mercy ; to thee only it apper- 
taineth to forgive sins.^^ These are but a sample of the 
proofs afforded by the Liturg}'', of the repugnance of the 
Church to any view of the efficacy of absolution correspond, 
ing with that of the Church of Rome. 

We now come, fourthly, to that statement of the doctrine 
of absolution, which, we apprehend, best agrees with revela- 
tion — with the limits of ministerial power, and with the spirit 
of the Church. 

It is one of the first truths of religion, that " all have 
sinned and come short of the glory of God." To be under 
the guilt of sin, is to be subject to divine wrath, for " the wages 
of sin is death." But God hath " reconciled the world unto 
himself, by the death of his Son," making it possible, in con- 



* Ash AVednesdiiy and Shrove Tuesday (llie day previous) are, in 
the Romish Churcli, days of confession, penance, and peculiar ]iu. 
iniliation, connected with absolution in the offensive form above 
s'-ated. 

2* 



18 ABSOLUTION. 

sistency with the divine perfections, to remit the guilt of sin, 
and release the offender. The forgiveness of sin is not an 
unconditional gratuity, or an indiscriminate exercise of 
mercy. Deep and heartfelt penitence is invariably demanded 
in the recipient. God " willeth not the death of a sinner," 
but rather that he may " turn from his wickedness and live." 
Wherever, therefore, the terms or conditions of pardon are 
complied with, the blessing of forgiveness must follow, rest- 
ing, as it does, on the direct promise of God. 

Let us now proceed one step further. The agents between 
God and the souls of men, are the authorized ministers of the 
Church. To these is committed " the ministry of reconcilia- 
tion." Among the spiritual powers given to the Apostles, 
and through them to their successors, was that of declaring 
to penitents, in God's name, the remission of their sins. 
" Whose-soever sins ye remit, they are remitted," &c. With 
this power, there was combined in the Apostles, the " dis- 
cerning of spirits," so that they were enabled, in a special 
manner, to test the spiritual condition of any one to whom 
they administered absolution; while their successors, by in- 
heriting only the ministerial and not the miraculous endow- 
ment, are able only to pronounce sins forgiven to the peni- 
tent, without pretending to read the state of any man's heart. 
Has then the withdrawal of the miraculous gift, nullified or 
essentially impaired the power of absolution ? By no means. 
It still remains on its original ground as a function of the 
Christian priesthood, and must continue, so long as that 
priesthood lasts. God alone pardoneth sin. So, God alone 
raiseth the dead. God alone maketh the blind to see, and 
the cripple to walk, and the sun to halt in his course, and the 
sea and the Jordan to divide. But man may be the agent in 
all these ; and if so, God can invest him also with authority 
to pronounce, in his name, the forgiveness of sins. This is 
not « an invasion of the prerogatives of God ; any more than 
it tends to impair the privileges of a temporal governor, when 



ACO 1 9 

an officer of his appointment delivers a sealed pardon to a 
condemned malefactor."* This then we believe to be the 
doctrine of the Church respecting Absolution. Nothing 
short of this, will interpret her own words with any con- 
sistency. Nothing short of it, will justify her in asserting that 
Almighty God " hath given power and commandment to his 
ministers to declare and pronounce to his people, being peni- 
tent, the absolution and remission of their sins.^^ How widely 
this view differs from that of the Church of Rome, a glance 
may show. We dare not make the agency of a priest neces- 
sary to the forgiveness of sins. We pretend not, on our own 
judgment, to read the heart, and, as it were, compel the Al- 
mighty to pardon, in consequence of our verdict. We admit 
no private absolutions, predicated on formal or temporising 
confessions. We encourage no superstitious views of indis- 
criminate pardon, consequent on this act, and tending to 
nourish among the people an ungrounded feeling of security. 
We neither exact nor sanction any peculiar veneration of the 
priestly office, as due to this branch of its prerogative. In 
short, so carefully guarded is the moderate and scriptural 
use of absolution by the Episcopal Church, that, while we are 
secure of all its benefits, we are protected against all its 
abuses ; for, like the preaching of the gospel, and every other 
function of the ministry, absolution is not free from the lia- 
bility to abuse : and in this we may rejoice, that while the 
framers of our Liturgy had before their eyes the most revolt- 
ing and ruinous corruptions of absolution, they had wisdom 
given them to discern its true nature, and skill to rescue it 
from the evils with which it had been associated. 

Abstinence. See Fasting. 

AcoLYTH, Acolyte, or Acolythist. From 'AxoXou^o?, a 
follower, attendant, or companion. In the Latin Church, 



* Bishop Brownell's Commentary on the Prayer-book, p. 12. 



20 ADO 

the designation of certain ecclesiastical persons, who attended 
on the Bishop, assisted the clergy in some minor offices, and, 
if found competent, were admitted by ordination to the va- 
rious grades of the ministry. In the Church of Rome, the 
office of the Acolythi differed very little from that of an ordi- 
nary sexton. 

Administration. The execution of the duties of the 
Ministry. In this sense, chiefly, the term appears to be used by 
the Church, implying, not the 'persons who are intrusted with 
official power, (as frequently used in civil affairs,) nor the 
office itself, but the exercise and fuljilment of the functions of 
the office. This sense it bears in the Form for the Ordering 
of Deacons. " Almighty God, who * * * didst inspire 
thine Apostles to choose into the Order of Deacons the first 
martyr Saint Stephen, with others ; mercifully behold these 
thy servants now called to the like office and administration," 
&;c. After ordination, a Deacon is required, in general, to 
continue one year in that office, " to the intent he may be per- 
fect, and well expert in the things appertaining to the ecclesi- 
astical administration," i. e., may become familiar, by practice, 
with the execution of his own appropriate duties, and by 
observation, with the functions of the priesthood to which he 
aspires. See also the second prayer for those " who are to 
be admitted to Holy Orders." 

Admonition. In the Canons of the Church it is ordered, 
that when a Clergyman has been found guilty of an offence, 
not requiring severe discipline, he shall be admonished, or 
seriously warned and reproved by his Bishop. The sentence 
of " admonition" is the lightest punishment which is inflicted 
on an offending minister. The other degrees are suspension 
for a time from the duties of his office, and degradation,- by 
which latter he is deprived of his ministerial character alto- 
gether, and publicly expelled from the sacred office. See 
Degradation and Suspension. 

Adoration. The rendering of supreme homage and wor- 



ADORATION. 21 

ship to God. The derivation of the word, (from ad, " to," 
and OS, oris, " thp mouth,") points to a very ancient form of 
worship paid to the gods, by applying the right hand to the 
mouth in a reverential manner. The term is frequently used in 
a more lax sense, to denote honor and respect paid to persons 
of rank and dignity. Relative adoration " consists in worship 
paid to an object as belonging to, or representative of, another. 
In this sense the Romanists profess to adore the cross, not 
simply or immediately, but in respect of Jesus Christ, whom 
they suppose to be on it." Whatever palliations may be 
urged in behalf of such worship, by its advocates, adoration 
before an intermediate object, is not only unscriptural, but 
useless, pernicious, and, amongst the ignorant, scarcely to be 
distinguished from idolatry itself. In reference to this, the 
Church has declared in her 22d Article, that " The Romish 
doctrine concerning Purgatory, Pardons, worshipping and 
adoration, as well of Images as of Reliques, and also invoca- 
tion of Saints, is a fond thing, vainly invented, and grounded 
upon no warranty of Scripture, but rather repugnant to the 
Word of God." So scrupulously has the Church guarded 
herself against this error of the Romanists, that in the Prayer- 
book of the Church of England, a protestation is appended to 
the Communion Office, to meet an objection, sometimes urged 
against kneeling at the reception of the Eucharist. After 
stating that this attitude is here adopted to signify " our humble 
and grateful acknowledgment of the benefits of Christ therein 
given to all worthy Receivers," it is added, "Yet, lest the 
same kneeling should by any Persons, either out of ignorance 
and infirmity, or out of malice and obstinacy, be misconstrued 
and depraved ; it is hereby declared, That thereby nQ Adoration 
is intended, or ought to he done, either unto the Sacramental 
Bread or Wine there bodily received, or unto any Corporal 
Presence of Christ's natural Flesh and Blood. For the Sa- 
cramental Bread and Wine remain still in their very natural 



22 ADV 

substances, and therefore may not be adored ; (for that were 
Idolatry, to be abhorred of all faithful Christians)." 

Advent, Sundays in. For the greater solemnity of the 
three principal Holy-days, viz : Christmas, Easter, and Whit- 
Sunday, the Church has appointed certain days to precede and 
follow them with appropriate services. " The four Sundays 
before Christmas have the name of Advent, from the Latin 
compound verb " advenire,''^ to come to. They are designed 
to prepare us for celebrating with becoming faith, seriousness, 
and devotion, the advent of Christ in the flesh ; and to direct 
our view to that second advent, when he will come to judge 
those to whom he before came to offer his salvation. The 
language of the Church, therefore, in reference to both views 
of this holy season, is, " Prepare ye the way of the Lord." 

It has been contended, by some of the Romanists, that this 
holy season was originally instituted by St. Peter, and, there- 
fore, stands on Apostolic authority. Rut the precise time of 
its institution is not so easily to be determined ; though it cer- 
tainly had its beginning before the year 450, because Max- 
imus Taurinensis, who lived about that time, wrote a homily 
upon it. 

" It is the peculiar computation of our Church, to begin 
her years, and to revive the annual course of her services, 
with this time of Advent. For she neither follows the course 
of the sun, nor moon, to number her days, and measure her 
seasons, according to her revolution ; but Jesus Christ being 
to her as the only sun and light whereby she is guided, follow- 
ing his course alone, she begins, and counts on her year with 
him. When this Sun of Righteousness, therefore, doth arise, 
that is, when his coming and incarnation are first propounded 
to us, then begins the year of the Church, and from thence 
are all her other days and times computed."* 

" Adversity." Poverty, distress, affliction, or any con- 

* Wheatly. 



ADV 23 

dition opposed to prosperity. The term may be correctly ap- 
plied to either spiritual or temporal evils ; but, in the Scrip- 
tures and the Prayer-book, it is generally used in reference to 
the latter. The following are examples in the Prayer-book : 
" Mercifully assist our prayers which we make before thee, in 
all our troubles and adversities,''^ &c.,* referring to persecu- 
tions and other temporal calamities, for aid against which, 
this prayer was anciently used. Again : " That we may be 
defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, 
[temporal evils] and from all evil thoughts which may assault 
and hurt the soul,"f [spiritual evils.] Again : " Succor all 
those who, in this transitory life, are in trouble, sorrow, need, 
sickness, or any other adversity. ^'j^ " There should be no 
greater comfort to Christian persons, than to be made like 
unto Christ, by suffering patiently adversities, troubles, and 
sickness. "§ " Blessed Lord, * * * gjy^ j^jj^ j-g^ crim- 
inal under condemnation,] we beseech thee, patience in this 
his time of adversity, and support under the terrors which en- 
compass him."|( 

In all these examples, the reference is obviously to evils of 
a temporal character, though, by accommodation, the phrase- 
ology may, in some cases, be made to bear a spiritual appli- 
cation. See also the Collect for the 22d Sunday after 
Trinity, and the last paragraph of the Family Prayer for 
Morning. 

" Advertise." To notify, advise, or warn. " If the min- 
ister shall know any to be an open and notorious evil liver, 
&:c., he shall advertise him, that he presume not to come to the 



* Prayer in the Litany, " O God, merciful Father," &c. 

t Collect for the 2d Sunday in Lent. 

t Prayer for the whole state of Christ's Church militant. 

§ Exhortation in the Visitation of the Sick. 

U Prayer in the Visitation of Prisoners. 



24 ALL 

Lord's Table," &c. ;* i. e., he shall privately advise or notify 
him to that effect. 

Affusion. The act of pouring water on the head of a 
person, in the sacrament of baptism. See Immersion. 

Alb. a garment, somewhat resembling a surplice, an- 
ciently worn by the Clergy in the administration of the Holy 
Communion. 

" Alloweth, favorably." The verb to allow, is, in this 
phrase, used in the remote sense, to approve, justify, or sanc- 
tion. " Nothing doubting, but that he favorably alloweth 
[approveth] this charitable work of ours, in bringing this In- 
fant to his holy Baptism, "f 

The following quotation from Latimer, may illustrate this 
use of the word. " St. Peter, in forsaking his old boat and 
nets, was allowed as much before God, as if he had forsaken 
all the riches in the world.f 

All Saints' Day. The festival of All Saints is not of 
very high antiquity. About the year 610, the Bishop of Rome 
ordered that the heathen Pantheon, or temple, should be con- 
verted into a Christian Church. This was done, and it was 
appropriately dedicated to the honor of All Martyrs ; hence 
came the origin of All Saints, which was then celebrated 
on the first of May. In the year 834 it was changed to No- 
vember 1st, on which day it is still observed. " Our Church 
having, in the course of her year, celebrated the memories of 
the holy apostles and the other most eminent saints and mar- 
tyrs of the first days of the Gospel, deems it unnecessary to 
extend her calendar by any other particular festivals, but 
closes her course with this general one. It should be the 
Christian's delight, on this day, to reflect, as he is moved by 
the appointed scriptures, on the Christian graces and virtues 



* First Rubric in the Holy Communion, 
t OfSce of Public Baptism of Infants. 
X Sermon, Of the Householder. 



ALL 25 

which have been exhibited by that goodly fellowship of saints 
who, in all ages, have honored God in their lives, and glorified 
him in their deaths ; he should pray for grace to follow them 
* in all virtuous and godly living ;' he should meditate on the 
glorious rest that remains for the people of God, on which they 
have entered ; he should gratefully contemplate that commu- 
nion of saints which unites him to their holy fellowship, even 
while he is here militant, if he be a faithful disciple of the 
Saviour in whom they trusted ; he should earnestly seek that 
grace whereby, after a short further time of trial, he may be 
united with them in the everlasting services of the Church 
triumphant." 

All Souls. A festival or holyday of the Romish Church, 
on which special prayers are made for the benefit of the souls 
of the departed. Its observance has been traced back to the 
year 998, about which time, as we are told, a certain monk 
whose curiosity had led him to visit Mount ^tna, which he 
in common with others of that age, verily believed to be the 
mouth of hell, returned to his abbot with the grave story that 
he had overheard " the devils within complain, that many de- 
parted souls were taken out of their hands by the prayers of 
the Cluniac monks." The compassionate abbot took the 
hint, and set apart the second day of November, to be annu- 
ally kept by his monks as a day of prayer for all souls de- 
parted. This local appointment was afterwards changed by 
the Pope into a general one, obligatory on all the western 
churches. The ceremonies observed on this day were in good 
keeping with the purpose of its institution. In behalf of the 
dead, persons arrayed in black perambulated the cities and 
towns, each equipped with " a loud and dismal toned bell," 
which they rung in public places by way of exhortation to the 
people to remember the souls in purgatory, and give them the 
aid of their prayers. In France and Italy, at the present day, 
the annual " Jour des Morts" is observed, by the population 
resuming their mourning habits, and visiting the graves of 
3 



26 ALT 

their friends, for many years after their decease. At the 
period of the Reformation, the Church of England abrogated 
altogether the observance of this day, which is no longer kept, 
except in Roman Catholic countries. 

Alms. Gifts and offerings for the relief of the poor. The 
duty of almsgiving, together with its privileges and rewards, 
are constantly inculcated in the holy scriptures. " Remember 
the poor," is a dictate both of natural benevolence and of re- 
velation ; and sympathy thus exercised carries its reward with 
it, every emotion of a tender and feeling heart serving to 
corroborate the divine saying, " It is more blessed to give 
than to receive." 

From the earliest days of the Church, it has been custom- 
ary to approach the altar, at the time of communion, with a 
gift. " And it is very probable that at the time of receiving 
the sacrament, all those large donations of houses, lands, and 
money were made," of which we read in the Acts of the 
Apostles. In the Communion Office of our Church, pro- 
vision is made, in like manner, for almsgiving ; and sentences 
of scripture, referring to this duty, are appointed to be read 
while the alms are collecting. These gifts are afterwards 
laid on the altar, and solemnly dedicated, as an offering to 
Almighty God, to be expended in the relief of the suffering 
members of his Church. 

The 52d Canon of the General Convention provides that 
" The alms and contributions at the administration of the 
holy communion, shall be deposited with the minister of the 
parish, or with such Church officer as shall be appointed by 
him, to be applied by the minister, or under his superintend- 
ence, to such pious and charitable uses as shall by him be 
thought fit." 

Altar. From alta, ara^ an elevated table of stone, mar- 
ble, or wood, variously ornamented, and usually situated at 
one end of the Church, within the chancel, for the celebration 
of the holy Eucharist. In Romish churches, smaller altars 



ALTAR. 27 

are placed in various other parts of the building, for the per- 
formance of religious services in honor of the saints to whom 
they are respectively dedicatecf.* 

The terms, Holy table. Communion table, and Lord's table, 
are sometimes substituted by the Church, for the word altar. 
In popular discourse, still more frequently, this latter term is 
either suppressed, or used with evident caution, as though 
some deadly error lurked under it. The pith of the objection 
to the word, (so far as we have been able to trace it,) lies in 
the assumption that an altar always implies the offering of a 
victim in sacrifice, and that by using the term, we give coun- 
tenance to one of the grossest errors of the Romish Church. 

In reply to this, we contend that an altar does not invaria- 
bly suppose a victim, or a bloody sacrifice. In the Jewish 
temple, incense was daily offered upon an altar of gold, which 
" was solely appropriated to this purpose, and directly forbid- 
den to be used for any bloody sacrifice." (See Ex. xxx. 9.) 
We learn also from Leviticus ii., that offerings were made 
consisting of flour, grain, bread, cakes, oil, and frankincense, 
&c., being what are commonly known as unbloody sacrifices. 
Of these it is said, " when it is presented unto the priest, he 
shall bring it unto the altar," &c., and a portion of them were 
consumed upon it. The objection therefore is defeated by 
the express words of scripture, and the Church would be jus- 
tified, (as we shall presently see,) in using the term altar, far 
more exclusively than she actually does ; for in the oblation 
of the symbols of Christ's body and blood, there is, at least, 
as fair a ground for naming that on which they are offered 
an ALTAR, as that the table on which incense was offered should 
be called " the altar of incense." 

If we advert to the language of the early Church, we shall 
find these views strongly fortified by the general use of the 
term in question. In the second of the Apostolic Canons, 

* Britton's Arch, Antiq. 



28 ALTAR. 

(which are' acknowledged to be very ancient,) the holy table 
is thrice spoken of as "the altar." In the African Code, 
which " was of very great authority in the old English 
churches,"* we meet with allusions like these : " That they 
who handle the Divine Sacraments, and serve at the altar, 
abstain," (fecj" " That the sacraments of the altar must not 
be celebrated by any who are not fasting," (fecij: " The min- 
istry of the altar. ^'^ And so sacred was the altar considered, 
that none were suffered " to approach, but such as were in 
holy orders, unless it were the Greek Emperors at Constan- 
tinople, who were allowed to go up to the table to make their 
offerings, but were immediately to return back again. "|| It 
would appear that for a period of three hundred years after 
Christ, the term altar was universally used by the Church, and 
it was not until the very same period from which we date the 
rise qf corruption, that other appellations came into general use, 
to the prejudice of the original name. It is very difficult to 
account for the universal use of the term in the first ages of 
the Church, without referring, for its introduction, to the 
apostles themselves. It seems to stand upon the same ground 
with many other things, whose origin can be explained on no 
other hypothesis. " We have an altar," says St. Paul, 
" whereof they have no right to eat which serve the taber- 
nacle. "IT What could this altar be? Certainly neither Jewish 
nor Pagan, for the Apostle distinguishes it, in the context, 
from both. True, we may allegorize or spiritualize the text. 



* Johnson, on the Canonical Codes, p. 171. 

t Canon 4. 

t Canon 41. 

§ Canon 47. 

II Wheatly. This is stated on the authority of the 69th Trullan Canon, 
*' That no layman come within the Holy Chancel, except the Empe. 
ror, when he comes to make his offering according to tradition." 

^ Hebrews, xiii. 10. 



ALT 29 

and obtain from it a thousand divers meanings ; but the plain 
and direct sense of the passage gives little room to doubt that 
the apostle alluded to the table of the Christian sacrifice of 
thanksgiving ; and if the term was similarly incorporated in 
the public teachings of the other apostles, the mystery of its 
adoption in every part of the Church is solved at once — it 
came from inspired lips. 

But after all, the term (we are told) is used by the Roman- 
ists ! So much the better. Would to God that they were 
equally primitive and scriptural in matters of deeper conse- 
quence. The Romanist is not to be blamed for using this 
term, but for the dangerous errors he associates with it — 
errors with which, God be thanked, the Reformed Catholic 
Church is not chargeable. We apprise the objector, that he 
has aimed his lance, in this case, at the wrong object — at the 
altar instead of the sacrifice upon it. The Romanist, be it 
remembered, contends that the Eucharist is a true propitiatory 
sacrifice for sin ; while the Episcopal Church declares this 
notion to be " a blasphemous fable and dangerous deceit,"* and 
describes the Eucharist as " a sacrifice of praise and thanks- 
giving,^^ — a memorial with gifts and oblations, offered to the 
Divine Majesty, of the '■^full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice" 
once offered on the cross. If this important distinction had 
always been kept in view, the clamor about converting altars 
into talles would have sunk to rest, entombed in its own folly. 
With these hints, (already too long,) we trust that the Church- 
man will not permit himself to be disquieted at the use of a 
term, which has scripture, antiquity, and universal consent on 
its side. " He that is within the altar, is pure."f 

Altar-piece. Sculpture, or painting, ornamenting the wall, 
or a window, screen, &c., in the rear of an altar. 

Alternate. Alternate reading, in the services of the 



* Article XXXI. t Ignatius. 



aO ALU 

Church, is when the minister and people read " by turns," 
or " verse by verse," as in the Psalms of the day, which are 
recited, one verse by the minister, and the following by the 
congregation. 

In ancient times it was also customary to perform the sing- 
ing in the same manner, by having two separate choirs in 
each Church, one only of which usually sung at a time, except 
in the doxologies. The custom is said, by Socrates the his- 
torian, to have been first introduced among the Greeks by 
Ignatius, and among the Latins by St. Ambrose. Theodoret 
attributes the practice to Diodorus and Flavian. 

That the chanting of the Psalms alternately is even older 
than Christianity, cannot be doubted, for the custom prevailed 
in the Jewish Temple. Many of the Psalms are actually 
composed in alternate verses, evidently with a view to their 
being used in a responsive manner. In the early days of the 
Christian Church, this practice was adopted and became uni- 
versal. St. Basil tells us that in his time, the Christians, 
" rising from their prayers, proceeded to singing of psalms, 
dividing themselves into two parts, and singing by turns." 
And TertuUian remarks, that " when one side of the choir sing 
to the other, they both provoke it by a holy contention, and 
relieve it by a mutual supply and change." For these or 
similar reasons, the reading of the Psalter is, in our own 
Church, divided between the minister and people. In the 
cathedral worship of the Church of England, the Psalms of 
the day are usually chanted throughout. And, in order to 
preserve their responsive character, two full choirs are sta^ 
tioned one on each side of the church. One of these, having 
chanted two verses, (the usual compass of the chant-tune,) re- 
mains silent while the opposite choir replies in the verses suc- 
ceeding ; and at the end of each psalm, (and division of the 
119th Psalm,) the Gloria Patri is sung by the united choirs in 
chorus, accompanied by the peal of the loud organ. 

Alumnus. In its ecclesiastical application, one who has 



AHE 31 

passed through the required course of study in a Theological 
Seminary. 

Ambassador. A person sent by the government of one 
nation to that of another, to transact some important business, 
to superintend the affairs of his sovereign, or to settle any 
differences that may exist. In like manner, the ministers of 
God are sent by Him, to declare his message of wrath against 
a sinful world, and to exhort the wicked to forsake the way of 
death. In this sense the word is used by St. Paul in 2 Cor. 
XV. 20, " Now then we are ambassadors for Christ ; as though 
God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ'' s stead, be 
ye reconciled to God." And again, in Eph. vi. 20, after 
speaking of " the mystery of the gospel," he adds, " for which 
I am an ambassador in bonds." 

Amen. A word adopted into our language from the He- 
brew, having for its radical meaning " truly''' or " verily." Its 
import varies slightly with the position or connexion in which 
it is placed. In the New Testament it is frequently synon. 
ymous with " verily," and is retained in some versions with- 
out being translated. For example, " Amen, Amen, I say 
unto you."* At the conclusion of prayers, it signifies, "50 
he it," This explanation of it is given by the Church Cate- 
chism, in the words, "and therefore I say Amen : So be it," 
In the same sense it occurs in Rev. xxii. 20, " Surely I come 
quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." Sometimes it 
signifies a wish, as in Numbers v. 22. After the repetition 
of the Creed it assumes the form of an affirmation, as " yes, 
I fully believe it." At the close of exhortations, &c., it ex. 
presses assent and approval. 

In the primitive Church, the Amen was considered as a 
most important part of the service, being the ratification, on 
the part of the people, of the prayers, &c. offered for them by 



* Rheraish Testament. 



32 ANA 

the priest. We are told by Clement of Alexandria, that they 
were accustomed, in some places, to pronounce the Amen 
with such fervency and energy, that their desire seemed to 
be that the word "should carry up their bodies as well as 
their souls to heaven." St. Jerome's remark is also well 
known : — " In similitudinem ccelestis tonitrui Amen reboat." 
[The Amen echoed like the thunders of heaven.] A prac- 
tice, the very reverse of this, has unfortunately gained a far 
too extensive sanction in the American Church. In some 
degree, this may be attributed, we conjecture, to the jejune 
mode in which the Amen is given by our choirs. Musical 
composers, with a lack of taste not less remarkable than 
their entire oversight of the import of the word, have couched 
it in strains as unmeaning as puerile, and thereby degraded 
that which should be the proclamation of an unwavering 
faith, into something not very remote from a half-smothered 
token of unbelief. Organists and singers, with too much 
indulgence for the false taste of the composer, have given 
authority to the error, and from them the evil has extended 
itself to the responses of the congregation. The Amen is 
now but a sigh or a groan. It has lost its honors, and been 
robbed of its potency. Why should not devotion once more 
assert its rights, and the imperial sound of the Amen echo as 
in the days of Jerome ? " Let the ancient customs pre- 
vail,"* and the seal of our faith, and the sanction of our 
professions, be raised again to its deserved dignity. 

Anabaptists. Allusion is made in Article xxxviii. to 
this sect, which sprung up in Germany about the year 1521. 
The great project aimed at by the Anabaptists was the form- 
ation of a pure and perfect Church, such, we take it for 
granted, as the world had never seen, or the Apostles ever 
thought of. And thus they went about it : — In the first place, 

* Canon VI. of the Council of Nice. 



ANABAPTISTS. 33 

they claimed, of course, to be acting under a Divine impulse ; 
and, to substantiate this, took to tliemselves the power of 
working miracles ; the privilege of seeing visions ; and the 
very convenient faculty of receiving new revelations. The 
next step was the evolving of a train of new doctrines, 
admirably illustrative of their notions of Christian liberty, 
and asserting the entire needlessness of civil government 
to those who lived by the gospel ; — the folly of retaining in 
Christian society any distinctions arising from rank, wealth, 
&c. ; together with the propriety of forming a common stock 
of property, from the proceeds of which an equal distribution 
should be made among all the members of the fraternity. Their 
faith, it seems, soon brought forth works ; for, to the stubborn 
common sense of Luther and his co-workers, this Protestant 
monkery was not a whit better than the Popish ; nay, was 
even more lawless and unshapely ; and as a reward for their 
contempt of it, the Anabaptists, with Munzer at their head, 
took up other arms than the word of God, and arraying them- 
selves against all existing laws and government, whether 
civil or ecclesiastical, boldly entered the field, and defended 
their cause with as much vigor as enthusiasm, till they were 
overthrown and defeated by the Elector of Saxony, and driven 
from the contest, with the loss of Munzer, their general. 

The reader, by comparing dates, will find, that while the 
sentiments and the doings of the Anabaptists were still fresh 
in every one's mind, the Church of England was engaged in 
the holier enterprise of bringing to perfection the Book of 
Common Prayer. To check at once the introduction among 
churchmen, of those dogmas which had led to bloodshed and 
all manner of mischief on the continent, the 38th Article was 
framed, in which one of these vagaries is reprobated in plain 
terms. About the same time, or at the last review of the Pray- 
er-book, it was judged expedient to insert an " Office for the 
Baptism of such as are of riper years ; which, although not 
so necessary when the former Book was compiled, yet by the 



34 ANA 

growth of Anahaptism, through the licentiousness of the late 
times crept in amongst us, is now become necessary, and may 
be always useful for the baptizing of Natives in our Planta. 
tions, and others converted to the Faith."* ^ 

Anathema. A term adopted from the Greek, signifying 
a thing set apart, appropriated, or devoted. In its ecclesi- 
astical use, it expresses the authoritative separation of a per- 
son from the communion of the faithful, and the privileges of 
the Church. In this sense, it amounts to the same as excom- 
munication, and in the early Church this was probably the 
extent of its meaning. " I can really understand nothing by 
it," says a writer, " but a full excommunication, and therefore 
think the one no more unlawful than the other, "f 

In the canons and decrees of councils, it has been frequently 
employed as a brand upon those who were disposed contume- 
liously to withstand the decisions of the Church. The fol- 
lowing are among the earliest instances in v/hich it was thus 
used, with the exception of the anathema agaiiist Arius, at 
the Nicene Council, (not given in the canons,) and that 
against Novatus, under Cornelius, Bishop of Rome. 

" If any one, under pretence of religion, does advise a slave 
to despise his master, and run away from his service, and not 
to serve him with good will and all honor, let him be ana- 
thema.^''X 

"If any one teach that the house of God, and the assem- 
blies held therein, are to be despised, let him be anathema.^^^ 

" If any one, under pretence of religion, abandon his own 
children, and do not educate them, and so much as in him 



* Preface to the English Prayer-book. 
+ Johnson on the Canonical Codes. 
t 3d Canon of the Council of Gangra. 
§ 5th Canon of do. 



ANC 35 

lies, train them up to an honest piety, but neglect them, 
under pretence of being an Ascetic, let him be anathema J'''* 

A more intense meaning has sometimes been given to the 
term, analogous to that of a curse. In this sense, it would 
seem to be used by the Church of Rome in the anathema, 
tizing of heretics and their opinions. 

" Ancient Canons." The laws and rules concerning 
order, discipline, &c. enacted by Councils of Bishops in the 
early ages of the Church. Reference is frequently made to 
these in the Homilies, &;c., not only as indicative of the opin- 
ions and practice of the early Church, but as deserving a 
certain degree of respect in the legislation of the Church in 
the present day. The first four General Councils, however, 
are those whose decisions are entitled to the greatest weight. 
See Councils. In the form for the consecration of Bishops, 
allusion is made to the " ancient canons," in such a con- 
nection as to imply the recognition of a peculiar degree of 
reverence for them ; for the whole series of questions pro- 
posed to the Bishop elect, is grounded on the fact that " the 
Holy Scriptures and the ancient canons, command that we 
should not be hasty in laying on of hands," &c. Dean Com- 
ber has the following remark on this part of the Ordinal : — 
" This method of asking questions of the candidate for a 
bishoprick is grounded on divers ancient canons, especially 
on that of the fourth Council of Carthage ; where it is ex- 
pressly required, and where all the particulars to be inquired 
of, as to his manners, his learning, and especially as to his 
faith, are set down at large ; and unless he could give an 
account in all particulars, the Metropolitan was not to con- 
secrate him. From this canon, which al^o cites the place of 
St. Paul, our Church hath taken this preface, being like also 
to the most ancient forms in the Western Church." 



* loth Canon of Gangra. 
The above Canons were enacted not later than A. D. 340, 



36 ANT 

St. Andrew's Day. " This festival is celebrated in com- 
memoration of St. Andrew, who was, first of all, a disciple of 
St. John the Baptist, but being assured by his master that he 
was not the Messias, and hearing him say, upon the sight of 
our Saviour, " Behold the Lamh of God /" he left the Baptist, 
and being convinced himself of our Saviour's divine mission, 
by conversing with him some time at the place of his abode ; 
he went to his brother Simon, afterwards surnamed Peter 
by our Saviour, and acquainted him with his having found 
out the Messias ; but he did not become our Lord's constant 
attendant, until a special call or invitation." 

After the ascension of Christ, when the Apostles distributed 
themselves in various parts of the world, St. Andrew preached 
the gospel first in Scythia, and afterwards in Epirus. After 
this, he is said to have visited Cappadocia, Galatia, Bithynia, 
and the vicinity of Byzantium. He finally suffered death by 
crucifixion, at ^gea, by order of the proconsul of the place. 

The instrument of his death is said to have been in the 
form of the letter X, being a cross decussate, two pieces of 
timber crossing each other in the middle ; and hence usually 
known by the name of St. Andrew's cross. 

Angelic Hymn. A title given to the hymn or doxology 
beginning with " Glory be to God on high," &;c. It is so 
called from the former part of it having been sung by the 
angels, on their appearance to the shepherds of Bethlehem, 
to announce to them the birth of the Redeemer. See Gloria 

IN EXCELSIS. 

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This festival 
is appointed by the Church, in commemoration of that event 
in which it was announced to Mary, by an angel, that she 
should be the mother of the Messiah, 

Ante-Communion. That part of the Order for the Holy 
Communion, which precedes the exhortations, prayers, &;c. 
connected with the actual celebration of the Eucharist. It 
has for many ages been customary to view the Communion 



ANTE-COMMUNION. 37 

service as embracing three main divisions. 1. The Ante- 
communion, or the preparatory portions ; having a general 
reference to the sacrament, but yet not touching on its imme- 
diate celebration. 2. The Communion proper, formerly 
styled the Canon, including the consecration and distribution 
of the elements. And, 3. The Post-communion, or prayers, 
anthems, &;c. which follow after the reception of the sacra- 
ment. 

The English and American Prayer-books differ somewhat 
in assigning the limits of the Ante-communion. In the first 
book of Edward VI. it appears to have embraced the offertory, 
and in the English Prayer-books now in use, the rubric extends 
it " until the end of the general prayer, [for the whole state of 
Christ's Church militant here on earth]." In the American 
Prayer-book, the rubric does not authorize the minister to 
proceed further than the end of the Gospel, unless " when 
there is a Communion." 

The Ante-communion, when including the "prayer for the 
whole state of Christ's Church militant," bears a considerable 
resemblance to the Missse Catechumenorum of the ancient 
Church, or " that part of the services at which the Catechu- 
mens, who were not admitted to the reception of the Euchar- 
ist, were allowed to be present."* There was this difference, 
however, that in the early ages of the Church, the Eucharist 
was generally administered every Sunday, so that the Ante- 
communion was not recited as a detached portion of the office, 
but in its immediate connection with the administration of the 
sacrament, from which the Catechumens were always ex- 
cluded. 

Still it is not to be supposed that there were not occasions 
on which the practice corresponded more nearly with that 
which now prevails, for in both the Eastern and Western 

* Wheatly, 



38 ANTE-COMMUNION. 

Churches, it sometimes happened that large portions of the 
Communion service were used, without being followed by the 
"consecration of the mysteries." In this, the Church testi- 
fied her desire, as she still does, to unite her children on every 
Sunday, in this sublime act of worship, thereby inviting their 
weary souls to a perpetual and heavenly feast. 

It is somewhat unfortunate that in the American Prayer- 
book, the rubrics relating to the use of the Ante-commu- 
nion, are much less clear than in the English. The altera- 
tions which they underwent in our early Conventions, were 
doubtless intended to meet one or two contingencies, for which 
provision was not made in the English Prayer-book. The 
effect, however, has been to convey an ambiguity of meaning, 
tending to obscure rather than to illustrate the design of the 
Church, and to give at least the shadow of a sanction to the 
occasional omission of this portion of the Communion office. 
But whatever clashing there may seem to be between the 
rubrics as they now stand, the sense of the Church, in regard 
to the use of the Ante-communion, cannot well be mistaken. 
The regular use of it is invariably attended by a conscious- 
ness that the design of the Church has been met ; whereas 
the omission of it is sure to create in the mind a vague sus- 
picion of error, not to be allayed even by the most plausible 
construction of the rubrics. On this ground alone, therefore, 
it might be judged safest to take the affirmative side, and let 
the Ante-communion be read on every Sunday and holy-day, 
&c. for which a Collect, Epistle and Gospel have been pro- 
vided. 

But there are other reasons for its use, and strong ones 
too. We shall here only glance at them, and leave the 
reader to form his own conclusions : — 

1. The fact, that "the Collect, Epistle, and Gospel ap- 
pointed for the Sunday, shall serve all the week after," is 
proof that the Church designed the daily Morning Prayer to 
be followed by the daily Ante-communion, 



ANTE-COMMUNION. 39 

2. The rubric appended to the " Circumcision of Christ," 
requires that " The same Collect, Epistle and Gospel shall 
serve for every day after <, unto the Epiphany." This includes 
several days ; but as the Epistle and Gospel are never read 
except with the full Ante-communion, iliat service must be 
performed, if the requisition of the Church is met. 

3. The rubric at the end of the 25th Sunday after Trinity 
is grounded entirely on the understanding that the Ante- 
communion is to be read on every Sunday. 

4. The omission of this service involves the surrender, or 
the depreciation, of a large part of the Book of Common 
Prayer. To say nothing of the vast importance of keeping 
the moral law constantly sounding in the ears and engraven 
on the hearts of the people, it is beyond all question, that the 
strong features which distinguish the Sundays and Holy-days 
of the Church, and give them individuality, are found chiefly 
in the Ante-communion service. The Lessons, we grant, 
are admirably chosen, and well adapted to illustrate the par- 
ticular event, or doctrine, commemorated on a Holy-day ; 
but the moment we touch on the Ante-communion, a broad 
flood of light is cast upon the subject, leaving no doubt in the 
mind, that the Church reserved her best strength, and her 
finest painting, for the introductory part of her Communion 
ofiices. 

5. Without the Ante-communion, the morning service un- 
dergoes a remodeling, by the insertion of the Sermon in a 
place not assigned to it ; for, as this is specifically provided 

for in the service we are considering, there is no more au- 
thority for introducing it until we arrive at its proper place, 
than there is for delivering it hefore or after the Creed, or in 
the midst of the Litany. So, also, there will be a similar un- 
authorized transposition of the order for the publishing of 
the bans of matrimony, and other notices. These are to be 
read only at the close of the Gospel of the day ; and if intro- 



40 ANTE-COMMUNION. 

duced elsewhere in the morning service, are manifestly out of 
place and irregular. 

6. The omission of the Ante-communion is in opposition 
to the universal practice of the Church. In the primitive age, 
the Holy Communion vv^as administered on every Lord's day 
at the least, and the Ante-communion, of course, formed an 
integral part of the regular Liturgy, or seryice. But it was 
also used in a detached form^ as with us. Authority for this 
we have already referred to, and of a very early date. It 
appears, also, that in the middle ages a practice prevailed, 
" under the appellation of missa succa, or missa nautica. The 
earliest notice of this practice, according to Bona, is in the 
writings of Petrus Cantor, who flourished A. D. 1200 ; and it 
seems to have prevailed extensively in the west for some cen- 
turies afterwards. The missa sicca, or ' dry service,' as it 
was called, consisted of a repetition of all the preparatory 
and concluding parts of the Liturgy, omitting the canon. No 
elements were laid on the table, apd there was neither conse- 
cration nor communion. This certainly approaches very 
nearly to the office enjoined by the Church of England, when 
there is no Communion."* 

The Church, after the Reformation, finding that she could 
not restore and enforce the primitive practice of celebrating 
the Communion on every Holy-day, appointed the constant 
reading of the Ante-communion on the intervening days, 
as the best token she could offer of her solicitude for the re- 
storation of the original usage, and as constituting a portion 
of her Holy-day services, which could not be omitted without 
rupturing the admirable system prevailing throughout her ec- 
clesiastical year. 

To the above reasons, we beg leave to add the concluding 



* Origiries Liturgicse, I. p. 164-5. 



ANT 41 

words of a communication on this-subject, made by the Amer- 
lean Bishops to the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies, at 
the General Convention of 1821: — "The. Bishops deem it 
their duty, to express the decided opinion, that the rubrics of 
the Communion service, as well as other general considera- 
tions, enjoin the use of that part which precedes the sermon, 
on all occasions of sermon or communion, as well as on those 
festivals and fasts when neither sermon nor communion oc- 
curs." 

Anthem. Originally, a hymn, in alternate or responsive 
parts. The term is now chiefly applied to poetical and musi- 
cal compositions of a sacred character, more free and elabo- 
rate in their style than ordinary psalmody, and adapted to 
the use of the Church on festivals and other special occasions. 

Anthems are said to have been first introduced into the 
Church of England in the early part of the reign of Elizabeth ; 
since which time they have occupied a distinguished place in 
the Cathedral service, and brought into exercise a variety of 
talent, combining science with devotion, which otherwise 
might have been lost to the Church, or expended to its injury. 

The Anthems of the old English school of music, were 
usually founded on select passages of scripture ; but the word, 
by later usage, extends itself to the greater portion of those 
musical compositions for the use of the Church, which rank 
above the grade of the ordinary psalm or hymn tune. 

In the Prayer-book, the term is applied to any devotional 
hymn, &c. occurring in the regular service of the Church. 
The Introductory Psalm in the " Order for the Burial of the 
Dead," is styled an Anthem ; also the selections before the 
Collect for Easter-day. With a similar general application 
it is to be understood in the lines — 

" O come, loud Anthems let us sing, 
Loud thanks to our Almighty King."' 

4* 



42 Apo 

Antiphon, or Antiphony. A chant or hymn, sung by 
two choirs, or portions of the congregation, alternately re- 
sponding to each other. The Antiphon is, in all probability, 
one of the most ancient forms of Church music, and is still 
preserved in the Cathedrals of the Church of England. See 
Alternate, 

Antiphony, or Antiphon arium. In the ancient Church, 
a book containing the anthems or verses for the beginning of 
the Communion, the Offertory, &;c. " It was often called 
* Graduale,' because some of the anthems were chanted on 
the steps (gradus) of the ambon, or pulpit."* 

Antistes. a title frequently applied in Ecclesiastical 
history to a prelate or bishop. 

"Any wise." See Article X. " The Baptism of young 
children is in any wise to be retained in the Church," &;c. ; 
that is, it should hy all means be continued. 

Apocrypha. Certain ancient books, partaking of the style 
of the Sacred Scriptures, but not admitted by protestants into 
the Canon. The books to which this title refers, were for 
many ages interspersed with the canonical books of scripture. 
In this form they appear in the Septuagint, the Vulgate, and 
various other translations. At the period of the Reformation, 
they were judiciously separated from the inspired books, and 
inserted in a place by themselves between the Old and New 
Testaments. A list of them is given in Article VI. 

The line of distinction between the Apocryphal books and 
the writings of inspired men, has been clearly laid down by 
the Church. Notwithstanding this, objections have repeat- 
edly been made to their insertion, at any time, in the same 
volume with the Sacred Scriptures. The danger apprehended 
is that of confounding them with the pure word of God, and 
thus unintentionally misleading the unwary reader. It does 



* Origines Liturgicoe, I. p. 308. 



APOCRYPHA. 43 

not appear, however, that this evil has ever been feh, the 
precautions of the Church being too strong to permit such a 
result. And it is questionable whether the fact has in any 
case occurred of error and mischief arising from this cause. 
As a general rule, the tendency has been in an opposite 
direction, so that the Apocryphal books do not receive the 
attention they really merit. Their elevated morality — their 
valuable historic matter, and their elegance of style, are little 
known to the general reader ; and instead of their being 
mistaken for the word of God, the mass of Christians are 
generally more ignorant of them, than of the writings of 
heathen antiquity. ' 

But there is a still graver charge against the Church, viz. , 
the appointing of portions of these books to be read in her 
public services. In the Church of England a much larger 
part of the Apocrypha is read than in the American Church. 
In the table of Sunday Lessons, the inspired books alone are 
set forth. In the OfFertorj'-, three verses from Tobit are in- 
troduced, but even these are not obligatory, though contain- 
ing nothing but sound exhortation and doctrine. The Bene- 
dicite (after the Te Deum) is also left to the discretion of the 
minister. On several of the holy-days, lessons are appointed 
to be read from Wisdom and Ecclesiasticus. These are 
selected with great judgment, and contain nothing repugnant 
to the word of God, but very much to illustrate and enforce it. 

The ground on which the Church rests this practice, is that 
of primitive and universal custom. The place she assigns 
the Apocrypha, and all the benefits she expects from its use, 
may be learned from her 6th Article. " The other books, (as 
Hierome saith,) the Church doth read for example of life, and 
instruction of manners ; but yet doth it not apply them to es- 
tablish any Doctrine." This is certainly a very moderate 
statement, scarcely amounting to the claim the Church makes 
for her own Homilies. In the Introduction to the English 
Prayer-book, it is also said, " nothing is ordained to be read 



44 APO 

[in public service] but the very pure Word of God, the Holy- 
Scripture, or that which is agreeahle to the same^'' evidently 
alluding to the selections from the Apocrypha. 

After this plain expression of the opinion of the Church, we 
have only to remark, 

1. That these readings do not operate to exclude the use of 
the pure word of God. The second lesson on holy-days is in- 
variably from the Canonical Scriptures ; and even if it were 
not so, the Church service is so abundantly furnished with 
scripture and scriptural instruction, that the depriving of the 
people of the bread of life must ever be among the last things 
a Churchman need fear. 

2. The bare announcing of a lesson from the Apocrypha 
is sufficient to guard every man from the danger of mistaking 
it for Holy Scripture. No one ever mistakes the Te Deum 
or the Benedicite for the word of God ; neither is there a 
greater liability to err in respect to the Apocryphal lessons. 

3. It is lawful and customary to introduce human compo- 
sitions into the worship of God. The appointed portions of 
the Apocrypha stand on much the same authority with the 
Confessions, Exhortations, Collects, Hymns, &c., which make 
up a large part of the public service. All these are set forth 
by the Church, and are not the fruits of rash decision, but 
of sober reflection, deep forethought, and an earnest desire for 
the prosperity of true religian, and a consequent increase of 
the glory of God. 

Apostles. Literally, persons sent out or deputed by a 
higher power. Appropriately, those who, in the first age of 
the Christian Church, were invested with the full powers of 
the ministry, including the right and the ability of conferring 
ordination, and of exercising a plenary ecclesiastical jurisdic- 
tion. Originally the Apostles were twelve in number, and 
derived their commission immediately from the Lord Jesus 
Christ. Their names are given in Matt. x. 2, Mark, iii. 16, 
&c., Luke, vi. 14, &c. After the ascension of our Lord, 



APOSTLES. 45 

Matthias was added to the number, to fill the apostolic seat 
or " bishopric" from which Judas fell. The appointment of 
Saul of Tarsus to the same office, occurred about two years 
after ; and in this interim it is probable that Andronicus and 
Junia were intrusted with the apostolic authority.* Besides 
these, we find others bearing the title of Apostles, and ex- 
ercising their peculiar prerogatives, among whom are Barna- 
bas, Timothy, Titus, and Silvanus. 

The Apostles were the first prelates or chief officers of 
the Christian Church, holding the same ecclesiastical rank 
which is now enjoyed by those denominated " Bishops." That 
they exercised a supreme power in the government of the 
Church is manifest ; and in like manner, the authority to 
administer ordination, and the rite of confirmation, is con- 
fined exclusively to the Apostles. This may be affirmed 
without hesitation — the New Testament and the concurrent 
practice of the Church for 1800 years amply sustaining the 
position. Efforts have been made, of late years, to embarrass 
the general subject of ordination ; but notwithstanding this, 
the wit of man has never been able to cope with the invul- 
nerable truth we have just stated — a truth on which is based 
and erected the primitive and Catholic doctrine of the Chris- 
tian ministry. 

It is not intended here to anticipate what we have to say 
under the head of Episcopacy ; but it may be worth while to 
bring forward a few evidences of the fact, that the superiority 
of the apostolic rank did not depend on the gift of miracles, 
or the possession of certain external advantages or peculiar 
privileges, but on the holding of a certain distinguished minis- 
terial office. 

It cannot be denied, nor does any Episcopalian pretend to 
deny, that the Apostles were endowed with many valuable and 
extraordinary gifts. But we do contend that they were not 
constituted Apostles on account of these things, or that the 

* Compare Romans, xvi. 10. 



46 APOSTLES. 

apostolic office depended on such uncommon endowments. 
For, if we look a little further into the matter, we shall find 
many others who were similarly gifted. Will any one say 
that the power of working miracles gave the Apostles this au- 
thority ? We answer that it did not : for Philip the Deacon, 
and Stephen, had this power, the former of whom astonished 
the people of Samaria with the exercise of this very gift. 
Neither were the Apostles particularly distinguished from the 
other ministers or elders, (as Bishop H. U. Onderdonk justly 
remarks,) " because they were appointed by Christ personally; 
for some are named Apostles in Scripture who were not thus 
appointed, as Matthias, Barnabas, and probably James the 
brother of our Lord, all ordained by merely human ordainers. 
Silvanus also, and Timothy, are called Apostles, and, besides 
Andronicus and Junia, others could be added to the list. Nor 
were the Apostles thus distinguished because they had seen 
our Lord after his resurrection, for five hundred brethren saw 
him. And though the twelve Apostles were selected as spe- 
cial witnesses of the resurrection, yet others received that 
appellation who were not thus selected, as Timothy, Silvanus, 
Andronicus, Junia, &c. It follows, therefore, or will not at 
least be questioned, that the Apostles were distinguished from 
the elders, because they were superior to them in ministerial 
power and rights."* 

The official duties of the Apostles we find laid down in 
their commission, though in general terms : " Go ye, and 
teach all nations, baptizing them," &c. Some remarkable 
powers, as we grant, were given to these first ministers, to 
enable them with success to cope with the prevalent idolatry — 
to expose, without intimidation, the horrible licentiousness 
and degradation of the Gentile world, and to awake and call 
to repentance, those who with wicked hands had crucified the 
Lord of life. They were therefore endowed with the gifts of 

* Episcopacy Tested by Scripture. 



APOSTLES. 47 

wisdom, knowledge, faith, prophecy, discerning of spirits, &c. 
But (as some one remarks) "such gifts have no more con- 
nection with ministerial duties, than learning has with the 
performance of baptism." These did not affect their official 
rank at all ; and between the ministerial acts of the Apostles, 
and those ordinary duties performed by our present bishops, 
there is no real and essential difference. Suppose that the 
gift of miracles should at this day be imparted to one of our 
bishops : should we, on this account, regard him as in the 
slightest degree advanced in official authority over his fellow 
bishops 1 By no means ; for though God had vouchsafed him 
facilities for the performance of his appropriate duties, and 
had put into his hands extraordinary means of attesting the 
truth of the Gospel ; yet, all these things stand apart from 
his proper office as a bishop ; and unless God should specially 
interpose to advance him to a primacy, he would undoubtedly 
be culpable in assuming it. If St. Paul himself should return 
from his sepulchre, and come among us with the same high 
endowments which rendered him so eminently conspicuous in 
the college of the Apostles, we have no reason to infer that 
he would assume an ofliicial superiority above all other 
bishops, or that they would be justified in submitting to him if 
he should. So little has even the gift of miracles to do with 
ministerial rank. There can be no question, that every 
Christian bishop in the wide world would regard him with the 
most extraordinary admiration and reverence ; but all this 
time the official rank of the primitive Apostle, and that of the 
modern bishops, would remain on a perfect equality ; and an 
ordination performed by the former, would be of no greater 
efl[icacy or validity than if performed by any of the latter. 

We trust that this will be enough to show that the posses- 
sion of extraordinary gifts, does not in the least affect the 
rank in the ministry of the person possessing them ; and as 
these gifts in the Apostles have been mistaken for the pos- 
session of a peculiar ministry, the correcting of the error 



48 APO 

establishes the fact, that the doings of the apostles are to be 
considered simply as the exercise of ordinary episcopal 
powers, which had nothing in them but what might be, and 
what has been imparted to others as their successors. See 
Episcopacy and Bishop. 

Apostles' Creed. See Creed, Apostles'. 
Apostolic, or Apostolical. Terms expressive of such 
things as were done by the Apostles, or were agreeable to 
their doctrine and practice, or cotemporaneous with the age 
in which they lived. Thus, the " Apostolical Epistles" are 
those in the New Testament, written by St. Paul and the 
other Apostles. " Apostolic Order " is that external form of 
Ministry and discipline which the Church received from the 
Apostles under the direction of the great Head of the 
Church. 

Apostolic Fathers. The title of Fathers has been given 
to certain bishops, &c., who distinguished themselves in the 
early ages of the Church. Of their writings many have been 
preserved to the present day, and form an invaluable treasure 
of piety, as well as a body of testimony to the existence of 
facts respecting the order and doctrine of the Church in their 
remote day. Between the inspired Apostles, and those sim- 
ply styled " Fathers," were four venerable men, who from 
having had personal acquaintance with the Apostles, and the 
benefit of their immediate instruction, are distinguished by 
the title of " Apostolic Fathers." These were Clement of 
Rome, Ignatius, Polycarp, and Hermas. To these, Barnabas 
the apostle is usually added. The Epistles and other writ- 
ings of these eminent saints are still extant. A more admi- 
rable appendix to the pure word of God, and a more trust- 
worthy comment on the principles taught by inspired men, 
cannot be conceived. As eye-witnesses of the order and 
discipline of the Church, while all was fresh and new from 
the hands of the Apostles, their testimony forms the very 
summit of uninspired authority. None could better know 



ARC 49 

these things, than those who Hved and wrote at the very 
time. None deserve a devouter reverence than those who 
proclaimed the gospel while the echo of inspired tongues yet 
lingered in the ears of the people. (An American edition of 
the writings of the Apostolical Fathers, enriched with ex- 
planatory notes, has been published by the Protestant Epis- 
copal Press, New-York). 

Apostolicity. a term sometimes employed, for want of a 
better, to express the quality of being apostolical, or in ac- 
cordance with the doctrines, practice, and times of the apos- 
tles ; e. g., " The rite of Confirmation not only commands 
our admiration on account of its beauty, but our obedience, 
on the higher ground of its apostolicity.^^ 

"Apparent." Used in the sense oi manifest, evident, or 
impending, in the " Thanksgiving for Peace and Deliverance 
from our Enemies,"* thus — " We yield thee praise and 
thanksgiving, for our deliverance from those great and appa- 
rent dangers wherewith we were encompassed." 

" Archbishop." We introduce this term, not because it has 
any immediate connection with the American Church, (in 
which there are no archbishops,) but to meet the frequent 
inquiry respecting the nature and prerogatives of the office 
as it exists in the mother Church of England. 

The prefix Arch, is expressive of precedence and superi- 
ority ; it is not to be understood, in the present case, nor in 
that of Archdeacon, as implying a distinct order of the min- 
istry, but only a more ample power of jurisdiction vested in 
one, with the concurrence of others who enjoy the same spi- 
ritual rank. 

The title of Archbishop does not occur in the New Testa- 
ment, nor in the earliest periods of Church History. About 
the fourth century it appears in connection with the names of 



* See the Occasional Thanksgiving in the Prayer-book. 
5 



50 ARCHBISHOP. 

Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem, and Celestinus, Bishop of Rome. 
The more definite title of Metropolitan, and also that of Pri- 
mate, were more generally used to indicate the same office, 
or the Bishop of a chief city, having suffragans under his di- 
rection in towns and cities in the contiguous country. 

The Church of England, with its Dioceses, is divided into 
the two Provinces of Canterbury and York, over each of 
which an Archbishop presides, who exercises a certain juris- 
diction over the Bishops in his province. 

The peculiar duties of an Archbishop of the Church of 
England have been thus stated : " He has the inspection of 
the Bishops of his province, as well as of the inferior clergy, 
and may deprive them on notorious causes. He confirms 
the election of Bishops, and afterwards consecrates them. He 
may appoint coadjutors to a Bishop who has grown infirm. 
He may confer degrees of all kinds ; and censure, and ex- 
communicate, suspend, or depose for any just cause. He has 
also his own Diocese wherein he exercises episcopal jurisdic- 
tion, as in his Province he exercises archiepiscopal. During 
the vacancy of any see in his province, he is guardian of the 
spiritualities thereof, as the king is of the temporalities ; and 
during such vacancy, all episcopal rights belong to him, and 
he executes all ecclesiastical jurisdiction therein, such as the 
power of granting licenses to marry, probate of wills, admin- 
istration to intestates' estates, and also admissions and institu- 
tions."* To this statement may be added that " the Arch- 
bishop of Canterbury claims the right of placing the crown 
upon the head of the King at his coronation ; and the Arch- 
bishop of York claims to perform the same office for the 
Queen consort." 

When Archbishops are vested with their powers, they are 
said to be "enthroned." The same act, in the case of Dio- 
cesan Bishops, is denominated " installation." 

* Laws relating to the Clergy, by the Rev. David Williams. 



ARC 51 

The Archbishop of Canterbury is styled " Primate, and 
Metropolitan of all England ;" the Archbishop of York, sim- 
ply " Primate of England." Both have the title of Graces 
and " Most Reverend Father in God by Divine Providence," 
while the ordinary Bishops have that of Lord, and " Right 
Reverend Father in God, by Divine permission." 

Archdeacon. In the Church of England the Archdeacons 
are a class of presbyters, invested with certain powers of 
superintendence and jurisdiction, under the superior control of 
the Bishops. The office is not to be considered as consti- 
tuting a distinct order, grade, or rank of the Ministry ; neither 
are the spiritual functions of the Archdeacons in any respect 
superior to those of other priests. The Archdeaconship 
rests simply on the appointment of the Church, which has 
authority to -continue or to annul the office as expediency may 
sucPD-est. 

Go 

The Archdeacon exercises his duties in what is technically 
called his " district," which may be a part or the whole of a 
Diocese. He is usually nominated and appointed by the 
Bishop, and " has power to hold visitations when the Bishop 
is absent ; to examine clerks for ordination, as also to insti- 
tute and induct, on receipt of the Bishop's mandate to that 
effect. He has his separate cotirt for hearing ecclesiastical 
causes, proving wills, granting administrations, and for the 
punishment of offenders, by spiritual censures. Also the 
right of inspecting and reforming irregularities and abuses 
among the clergy ; and has a charge of the parochial Churches 
within the diocese ; in a word, according to the practice of, 
and latitude given by the Canon law, he is to supply the Bish- 
op's room, and in all things to be the Bishop's vicegerent,"* 
i. e., in all things which do not infringe upon the spiritual 
powers of the Bishop, or those things which demand epis-^ 



* Laws relating to the Clergy. 



52 ART 

copal authority, and cannot, therefore, be delegated to a 
priest. 

Archdeaconry. The district through which the visitorial 
and corrective power of an Archdeacon extends. Of these 
there are sixty in the Church of England, each of which has 
its own Archdeacon. " The division of Dioceses into Arch- 
deaconries, and the assignment of particular divisions to, par- 
ticular Archdeacons, is supposed to have begun in England, 
about the time of the Norman conquest."* 

Archiepiscopal. Pertaining to, or having connection with 
an Archbishop. 

Articles of Religion. The thirty-nine Articles were 
drawn up at the period of the Reformation, and set forth by 
the highest ecclesiastical authority, as a declaration of the 
doctrine of the Church on sundry points, — a testimony against 
the errors of the Romanists, and a standard by which uniform- 
ity might be maintained, and peace secured throughout the 
Church. 

That there was need of some authoritative decisions of this 
kind, will not be denied, by any one aware of the gross cor- 
ruptions of the faith which had long kept possession of the 
public mind, and of the perils always attendant on any con- 
siderable revolution of religious opinions. The Continental 
reformers found the necessity of embodying their conceptions 
of Christian truth in certain formularies known as " confes- 
sions" of faith. In the year 1552, the same motives led " the 
Bishops and other learned and good men, in the convocation 
held at London," to agree upon forty-two Articles, in order 
" to root out the discord of opinions, and establish the agree- 
ment of true religion." These forty- two Articles were sub- 
sequently published under the royal authority of Edward VI., 
the reigning monarch. The restoration of Popery, on the 
accession of Queen Mary, blighted for awhile the prospects 

* Laws relating to the Clergy. 



AKT 53 

of the Church, and occasioned the repeal of these Articles. 
But in the early part of the reign of Elizabeth, the royal 
assent w£ls given to " Thirty-nine Articles, agreed upon by 
the Archbishops and Bishops of both provinces, and the whole 
Clergy, in the Convocation holden at London in the year 
1562, for avoiding diversities of opinion, and for the estab- 
lishing of consent touching true religion." This was ten 
years after the framing of the forty-two Articles of Edward 
VI. In the year 1571, the Articles underwent a further re- 
vision, and were finally settled, authorized, and publicly set 
forth in the form in which they now appear. 

The writers of the articles are not certainly known. It is, 
however, generally conceded, that Cranmer had a principal 
part in their composition. The strictest care seems to have 
been taken in framing them, and the rough draft was sub- 
mitted to many of the ablest Bishops and divines, whose 
opinions " were collated and examined very maturely ; all 
sides had a free and fair hearing before conclusions were 
made."* 

" The thirty -nine Articles may be considered under four 
general divisions : the first five contain the Christian doc- 
trines concerning the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost ; 
in the sixth, seventh, and eighth, the rule of faith is established ; 
the next ten relate to Christians, as individuals ; and the re- 
maining twenty-one relate to them, as they are members of 
a religious society. But, as all confessions of faith have 
had a reference to existing heresies, we shall here find, not 
only the positive doctrines of the Gospel asserted, but also 
the principal errors and corruptions of the Church of Rome, 
and most of the extravagancies into which certain prot^stant 
sects fell at the time of the Reformation, rejected and con- 
demned, "f 

Articles, Lambeth. The following sketch is framed 



* Burnet. + Bishop Tomline, 

5* 



54 ARTICLES, LAMBETH. 

from a history of these Articles, by J. Ellis, S. T. D., Lon- 
don, 1660. 

In the University of Cambridge, (England,) there are two 
famous Professorships, viz : Regius, and Margaret. In the 
latter part of the reign of Queen Elizabeth these were filled 
by Whitaker and Peter Baron. Whitaker was a man of 
considerable learning, and his judgment carried great weight 
which way soever he took. Having married into a family 
zealous for the Genevan doctrine, he on this ground, or some 
other, became attached to the party ; and with ruminating on 
the opinion of absolute predestination, was resolved to advance 
and carry it out, asserting that the reprobation which was 
passed upon the mass not yet corrupted, was not purely nega- 
tive, but did include an affirmation ; for, says he, this is the 
Decree and Will of God, whereby so many men run into 
eternal miseries. 

Peter Baron, it seems, had also considered of this matter, 
and was moved by these paradoxes of Whitaker to search 
more diligently into all the parts of this argument. Here- 
upon he fell into a controversy with Whitaker about predes- 
tination, afalling-off from grace, and the security or assurance 
of salvation. This dispute having raised up two parties in 
the University, Whitaker takes a journey to London, and 
goes straight to the Archbishop of Canterbury, [Whitgift,] 
giving him notice. that the University was corrupted with the 
Pelagian doctrine ; and in order to prevent an open quarrel,, 
proposes to the Archbishop nine positions which he had 
drawn up, begging that they might be sent immediately to 
Cambridge, fortified with the approval of some eminent and 
learned men. Now the positions were wrote in such a man- 
ner, tha^ one may easily discern the skilfulness of the man, 
in that nice and exquisite turn of the words, which for peace' 
sake would not be disapproved of even by such as did not a 
little dissent from him. A meeting of Prelates and Divines 
was then appointed, (not a great number,) in November, 



ARTICLES, LAMBETH. 55 

1595. After several days disputing, it so happened on the 
last day, that while some of Whitaker's opponents were ab- 
sent, the others carried their point. The Archbishop was at 
the head of the meeting, and did not at all approve of Whit- 
aker's articles ; yet, through easiness, and a fear of disa- 
greement, since he could not make good his own opinion, 
himself became the surety and patron of another's. 

These positions, (called the Lambeth Articles,) were sent, 
with some alterations, to Cambridge, and Whitaker fell to 
boasting of the victory he had gained. In the midst of this, 
he meets with Burleigh, one of the Queen's privy council, and 
Chancellor of the University, to whom he declares what had 
been done, and shows him the very Articles. But Burleigh 
seeing the artifice, and the mischief likely to ensue, extremely 
disapproved of the whole matter, and in a grave speech be- 
fore the Queen, took occasion to remonstrate against the ille- 
gality of the proceedings, the whole business having been 
done without the authority of the Queen, and the consent of 
Parliament. " Here are a few divines," said he, " that have 
dared to make decrees and determinations concerning the 
most important questions, which learned men for many ages 
since, could never yet agree about." He then reminded the 
Queen of the consequences resulting from their doctrine of 
fate, " which," says he, " if it be true, to what purpose is it, 
that I and the rest of your majesty's faithful ministers do busy 
ourselves about any thing, or take any measures that may be 
of use to you, and the kingdom's good ; whereas all consulta- 
tions about such things as necessarily come to pass, were ab- 
solutely foolish and ridiculous." On this, the Queen com- 
mands the Archbishop to be sent for, and after pleasantly re- 
minding him that by the step he had taken in transcending 
his authority, a praemunire was his due, and the confiscation 
of his goods, he sought to excuse the matter by pleading that 
no contempt was intended, but " it was only to interpose, for 
peace' sake, between the two professors, that no private quar- 



56 ASH 

rels might break out into public mischief." Whereupon, 
Whitgift was severely handled by some of the counsellors, 
who told him that the assembly was illegal, and disrespectful 
to the Queen, who knew nothing of it, and that they might 
have consulted the peace of the Church better, if they had 
kept their opinions to themselves. Finally, the Archbishop 
was required to beg pardon for what he had done so unad- 
visedly, to withdraw the Lambeth Articles from Cambridge, 
and not to suffer them to be published or spread abroad. 

An attempt was subsequently made, under the reign of 
James the. First, by Dr. Reynolds and others, to revive and 
establish these Articles ; but the king refused their request, 
thinking that such sort of definitions did not tend to the peace 
of the Church. 

It need only be added, that the Articles of Lambeth con- 
tain the very essence of the most rigid Calvinism. 

Ascension-Day, or Holy Thursday. A festival of the 
Church, in commemoration of the Ascension of Christ. It 
occurs forty days after Easter. The whole week of the As- 
cension was sometimes called " Expectation week," because 
at this time the Apostles continued in earnest prayer and ex- 
pectation of the Comforter, whom our Blessed Lord had 
promised in those words : " If I go away, I will send the Com- 
forter to you." 

Ash- Wednesday. Ash- Wednesday is the first day of 
Lent. It has its name from the ashes in which, as well as 
in sackcloth, the first Christians used to appear, when they 
were penitent, and wished to be again admitted into the 
Church, after they had been shut out from it on account of 
their sins. 

"Lent is a word meaning 'the spring.' The season of 
Lent contains forty days, from Ash- Wednesday to Easter, 
exclusive of Sundays, which are never to be observed as fasts. 
The Jews fasted forty days before their passover. Our Sa- 
viour fasted forty days in the wilderness. We ought to 



ASS 57 

humble ourselves before God, to repent of our sins, and to 
prepare for duly celebrating the festival of Easter, during 
the forty days of Lent ; when we should deny ourselves some 
innocent indulgences, of which we are fond, that we may 
learn self-denial in those which are guilty." 

Aspersion. Sprinkling, in the rite of Baptism. See Im- 
mersion. 

Assistant Bishop. One who is consecrated in aid of a 
Bishop, who by sickness, or other infirmity, is disabled from 
the efficient discharge of his episcopal functions. Canon VI. 
of the General Convention, makes provision, that in such a 
case, " one Assistant Bishop may be elected by and for the 
said Diocese, who shall in all cases succeed the Bishop, in 
case of surviving him." The duties of an Assistant Bishop 
are such " as the Bishop shall assign him," except in the 
event of entire inability in the Bishop, in which case the As- 
sistant discharges all the offices belonging to the Episcopate. 

Assistant Minister. A Clergyman elected by the vestry 
of a parish, to relieve the Rector from a portion of the pastoral 
duty, when, through infirmity, the extent of the parish, or any 
other impediment, such aid is judged expeciient and neces- 
sary. An Assistant Minister in the American Church, may 
be regularly instituted into his office, in similar manner with 
the Rector. See the Form for Institution. 

Associated Rector. A Clergyman holding, with another, 
the joint pastoral charge and jurisdiction of a Church or par- 
ish. See Form for Institution, 

Assumption of the Virgin Mary. A festival of the Romish 
Church, in honor of the Ascension of the Virgin Mary into 
heaven, which, we are given to understand, occurred in a 
miraculous manner, some years after her death. " On this 
day," says the Romanist, " we honor her happy death. * * 
* * We also commemorate her glorious assumption into 
heaven, where she is elevated above angels and archangels, 



68 AUD 

with a special claim to our homages, and ardently desires to 
promote our real interests."* 

The following meditation is from a popular devotional 
book of the Romish Church, and is worth noting, as contain- 
ing more assumptions than one : — " Let us contemplate in this 
mystery, how the glorious Virgin, twelve years after the re- 
surrection of her Son, passed out of this world unto him, and 
was ly him assumed into heaven, accompanied by the holy 
angels, "f 

Athanasian Creed. See Creed, Athanasian. 

" Audible Voice." A voice loud enough to be distinctly 
heard by the congregation. In various places of the Liturgy, 
the rubrics enjoin that the Minister shall read or pronounce 
certain portions with an "audible voice," or "distinctly." 
In the English Prayer-book still more frequently, he is re- 
quired to read "with a loud voice." There are three prin- 
cipal reasons for these requirements : — 

1. The propriety of the thing itself. It is the desire and 
intention of the Church, that every part of the public service 
should be so performed as to interest and benefit the people. 
But this primary object would, in a great 'measure, be de- 
feated, if so low a tone of voice w^ere used as to be inaudible 
to the mass of the congregation. This remark applies with 
peculiar force to the reading of the Lessons from scripture, 
and to the pronouncing of the Ten Commandments ; the ru- 
bric to which latter contains this direction — " Then shall the 
Minister, turning to the people, rehearse distinctly the Ten 
Commandments." 

2. These requirements were intended to counteract and 
prevent the introduction into our services of a practice long 
prevalent in the Church of Rome, viz : that of performing 



* Metropolitan Catholic Almanac for 1838, p. 44. 
t Christian's Guide to Heaven, p. 109. 



AUDIBLE VOICE. 59 

the offices of public worship in a low or subdued tone, neither 
heard nor understood by the people. " These men," says 
Jewell, " lest the people should understand them, munible up 
their service, not only with a drowned and hollow voice, but 
also in a strange and barbarous tongue,"* alluding both to 
the use of the Latin language and the unmeaning manner in 
which even that was uttered. 

3. The immense size of Cathedrals and other ancient 
Churches in England, demanded a greater strength and dis- 
tinctness of voice in the officiating Clergyman, than would be 
necessary in Churches of more modern dimensions. This 
reeison is evidently of a local character ; and being, for the 
most part, superseded by the convenient form and arrange- 
ments of the American Churches, many of the English ru- 
brics have accordingly been abridged in the American Prayer- 
book. 

The principle on which these requirements are grounded, 
extends not only to the Clergy, but also to the laity, who are 
expected to deliver their responses in an animated and audi- 
hie manner ; conforming to the custom of the purest ages of 
the primitive Church, rather than to the confused as well as 
unscriptural practice of the Church of Rome. 

In the Order of Confirmation there is a special rubric de- 
serving of notice. The Bishop standing by the altar, asks the 
candidates whether they do, in the presence of God, renew 
the solemn promise and vow made at their Baptism, &c. To 
this question, the Church directs that " every one shall audi, 
hly answer, * I do' ;" that is, they shall not answer by making 
a sign or gesture, or by a whisper, but in a tone of voice 
which all who are present may hear, especially the Bishop, 
that he may be satisfied of the sincere intentions of those 
who come to him to be confirmed, and of their readiness to 
confess the faith of Christ crucified. 

* Jewell's Apology, p. 157 — New- York edition. 



60 AUG 

The same remark will apply to the answers required to be 
given vocally by Sponsors in Baptism, and also in the Order 
of Matrimony. The substitution, at such times, of a nod, an 
incoherent assent, or a vacant stare, which the Minister 
is expected to interpret to the best of his charity, must be 
felt by every Churchman to be not only highly indecent in 
itself, but disrespectful to the Church, painful to the Clergy- 
man, and altogether incongruous with the solemn obligations 
then assumed by the parties. 

St. Augustine, or, by abbreviation, St. Austin. One of the 
fathers of the Church, and Bishop of Hippo, in Africa. This 
celebrated father was born in Tagestum, A. D. 354. The 
early part of his life was spent in a thoughtless career of 
folly and dissipation, singularly contrasting with the eminent 
piety and distinguished zeal which followed his conversion to 
Christianity. Before this event, he had numbered himself 
with the Manicheans. The change in his religious views 
has been attributed to his investigation of St. Paul's Epistles, 
and to the influence of the preaching of St. Ambrose, Bishop 
of Milan. Having been admitted to the priesthood a year or 
tw6 after his conversion, he was consecrated Bishop A. D, 
393, and became associated with Valerius, Bishop of Hippo, 
in the joint administration of that Diocese. " His talents, 
and ardent disposition, rather than any extraordinary degree of 
learning, brought him forward prominently in the religious 
disputes of his day." Among these, was the controversy 
with the Pelagians, into which Augustine entered with a 
warmth that " drove him into the contrary extreme, and his 
ignorance of the Greek language probably helping not a little, 
produced that system which, revived and set in its strongest 
light by Calvin, has derived its name from that reformer." 
A remark of St. Augustine from his 26th treatise on St. 
John, is quoted in the 29th Article of Religion. 

Auricular Confession. In the Romish Church, the con- 
fessing of sins in the ear of the priest, as at the ordinary 



BAN 61 

confessional, &c. This practice has been justly reprobated by 
the Church, as unscriptural, unnecessary, and, except in the 
case of disclosures made on a death-bed, as leading to inevit- 
able abuse and dangerous evils. Instead of private confessions 
between the penitent and his spiritual guide, the Church 
has appointed a public form to be used on all occasions of 
divine service. 

Ave Maria. A form of devotion used in the Church of 
Rome, comprising the salutation addressed by the angel Ga- 
briel to the Virgin Mary. Luke i. 28. The words " Ave 
Maria," are the first two, in Latin, of the form as it appears 
in the manuals of the Romish Church, thus : — " Hail, Mary, 
(Ave, Maria,) full of grace, the Lord is with thee," &c. 
To which is appended the following petition : — " Holy Mary, 
mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of 
our death. Amen." 



B. 



" Bands of those sins." This expression is found in the 
Collect for the 24th Sunday after Trinity. The condition of 
a sinner is sometimes represented in Scripture as similar to 
that of a person tied up, enchained, under bonds, or deprived 
of true liberty, as in the phrases, " bond of iniquity," Act^ 
viii. 23 ; the " captivity^^ of sin, Rom. vii. 23 ; " holden with 
the cords of his sins," Prov. v. 22 ; also in the expressions 
" binding" and " loosing," equivalent to the retaining or for- 
giving of sins. 

In agreement with this figurative language, we pray, in the 
above Collect, that God would " absolve" his people from their 
offences, and deliver us " from the bands (or bonds) of those 

6 



62 BAP 

sins which by our frailty we have committed." A similar 
idea runs in the words, " though we be tied and hound by the 
chain of our sins," &;c., in one of the occasional prayers of 
the English Prayer-book, 

Bans of Matrimony. In various Dioceses of the Church, 
when a marriage is about to take place, it is made the duty 
of the minister to give public notice of it, thereby warning 
the congregation that if there be any sufficient reason known 
why the persons named should not be married, information of 
it should immediately be given. This is called " publishing 
the bans." 

The words appointed to be used are found at the beginning 
of the form of " Solemnization of Matrimony," as follows — 
" I publish the bans of Marriage between M. of . . . and 
N. of . . . If any of you know cause or just impediment 
why these two persons should not be joined together in holy 
matrimony, ye are to declare it." 

This is read publicly on Sundays or Holy-days. The 
number of times depends on the civil laws and the custom 
of the Church. If read more than once, it is usual to add, 
" This is the first (or second, or third,) time of asking." 

Baptism. The Sacrament of Baptism was instituted by 
our Blessed Lord, as the ordinance by which persons might 
be admitted to membership in his Church, and to those bless- 
ings and privileges which are by Him annexed to such mem- 
bership. 

Initiation into any important society or confederacy, has 
generally been accompanied by some significant rite. In the 
Jewish Church, circumcision was the appointed means through 
which membership was acquired. Into the Christian Church 
admission is obtained by the haptism of the candidate. So 
far as relates to the mere ceremony, baptism, in some of its 
forms, may claim nearly as high antiquity as circumcision ; 
for Scripture gives us several intimations of the existence of 



BAPTISM. 63 

religious purifications by water, at periods very little later 
than the date of the covenant with Abraham. The element 
of water has, indeed, in all ages, and in all countries, been 
consecrated to what have been esteemed holy uses. As a 
symbol of purity, a remover of guilt, a strengthener of vir- 
tue, and a divine safeguard, it has stood in high reputation 
among all nations. And, among Christians, it is neither 
superstition nor folly to regard the element of baptism as 
singularly appropriate in its nature, and highly emblematical 
in its use, of that spiritual purifying of the soul, brought about 
by the operation of God's Holy Spirit. 

To the question, " What are the qualifications demanded 
in those who apply for baptism ?" the Church replies in her 
Catechism, " Repentance, whereby they forsake sin ; and 
Faith, whereby they steadfastly believe the promises of God 
made to them in that Sacrament." If it be objected that the 
baptismal forms of the Church seem too rigorous, and re- 
quire from candidates more than can reasonably be justified, 
it may be replied, that in a transaction of so serious a nature, 
none can be injured by a careful scrutiny of heart. And yet 
the Church very closely abides by the Scripture test ; for the 
sum of what she requires from the applicant, is but sincere 
penitence, and an open and firm confession of faith in Christ. 
She wisely addresses him as desirous, before sealing his vows, 
to lay before him the solemn demands of the Gospel. As if 
anxiously fearful of error, she rapidly sketches, (in her bap- 
tismal offices,) the compass of his duty, to keep predominant 
in his mind the memorable saying, " If ye love me, ye will 
keep my commandments." But the whole amount is, in 
effect, simply the demand of Philip from the Ethiopian, " if 
thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest" be baptized. 
And the expectation of the Church is, in its spirit, satisfied 
with the eunuch's reply, " I believe that Jesus Christ is the 
Son of God." 

The two questions which will here naturally arise, respect- 



64 BAPTISM. 

ing the eligibility of infants for baptism, and the authority of 
the modes in which this sacrament is administered, we shall 
consider at length under the heads. Infant Baptism, and Im- 
M:Ersion, to which the reader is referred. 

The benefits or results of baptism may be thus stated : 

1. An admission into the visible Church of Christ. By 
this is meant that persons in baptism become memhers of 
that divinely instituted society — members of the Church 
militant, hereafter to be translated, if faithful, to the Church 
triumphant. A moral change may or may not accompany this 
introduction to membership in the Church ; this, of course, 
will depend on personal character^ The Church does not 
hold the offensive opinion, sometimes imputed to her, that 
baptism necessarily produces such a moral change as the 
Scriptures call " conversion." On the other hand, as there 
were good and bad fish in the net, grain and chaff on the 
threshing floor, tares and wheat in the field, so will there 
always be a corresponding diversity in the Church on earth. 
Simon Magus, and St. Paul, both received baptism, and con- 
sequently became members of Christ's Church ; but the one 
afterwards perished in his iniquity, while the other attained 
the crown of immortal life. 

2. Baptism admits the recipient into a special covenant 
with God — a covenant which " he, for his part, will most 
surely keep and perform." But neither does this, by neces- 
sity, imply ari entire moral change in the baptized; for a cO- 
venant may be entered into by a person who is wholly unfit 
to fulfil the obligations he has assumed. The wicked thus 
take God's sacred covenant upon them, and by failure of 
duty, lose all those blessings which are promised to the 
o.bedient. 

3. There is in this Sacrament a great and undoubted 
moral effect produced in all those who receive it " rightly." 
The Catechism of the Church describes this as "a death unto 
fcsin, and a new birth unto righteousness : For being by nature 



BAPTISM. 65 

born in sin, and the children of wrath, we are hereby made 
the children of grace." All this is predicated on the exist- 
ence of repentance and faith, in the recipient. And as these 
have been most solemnly avowed by the candidate, the Church 
is authorized in the language she uses ; — having no right, ex- 
cept in the most flagrant cases of hypocrisy, to question the 
veracity and honesty of those who appear at her fonts. But 
without these dispositions of mind, (understanding them as 
evidences of the working of God's grace,) the above con- 
sequences, so far as they imply a moral effect, cannot accom- 
pany baptism. The dignified views, however, which are 
maintained by the Church respecting baptism, as given 
above, are fully borne out by the express words of Scripture, 
which annex to baptism, rightly received, the pardon of sin. 
Thus Peter exhorted the penitent multitude to be baptized in 
the name of Jesus Christ, " for the remission of sins." And 
St. Paul, after his conversion, was thus addressed by Ananias, 
" Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins." Other 
passages are not wanting of the same import, but always in 
connection with the existence of right dispositions of heart. 
To this it is almost needless to add, that the full pardon of 
sin implies, or is accompanied with, a restoration to the favor 
of God — the grant of his Holy Spirit, and the promise of final 
reward as the consummation of obedience. See also Infant 
Baptism. 

4. Baptism is a mean and pledge of grace. So far as the 
former is concerned, it is undeniable that by tliis sacrament 
" we are made the children of grace" and become entitled to 
the privileges annexed to such a state. Consequently, bap. 
tism, the medium of communication, is eminently a mean of 
grace. It is also a pledge of grace, because its divine Institu- 
tor has endowed it with assurances and promises, of the cer- 
tain fulfilment of which it would be impiety to doubt. 

The Church has provided three Baptismal offices, agreeing 
in doctrine, and in all essential features. The first is for the 

6* 



66 BAR 

public baptism of infants ; the second for the same, in pri- 
vate ; and the third for persons of riper years. 

For further information respecting the language and pecu- 
liarities of our baptismal services, See the articles, Certify- 
ing, Cross, Hypothetical, Member, Regeneration, and 
Sponsors. 
' Baptismal fonts. See Fonts. 

Baptistery. In the ancient Church, a building containing 
the font, &c., for the administration of baptism. See Font. 

St. Barnabas' Day. This Apostle was born in the 
island of Cyprus, and was descended from parents of the 
house of Levi. He became a student of the Jewish law, 
under Gamaliel, who was also the instructor of Paul. Barna- 
bas was one of those " who freely gave up his worldly goods 
into the common stock, which was voluntarily formed by the 
earliest converts to Christianity. After the conversion of 
St. Paul, St. Barnabas had the distinguished honor of intro- 
ducing him into the society of the Apostles ; and was after- 
wards his fellow-laborer in many places, especially at An- 
tioch, where the name of Christian was first assumed by 
the followers of Jesus. There are no accounts of St. Bar- 
nabas after he left St. Paul ; nor any of his writings pre- 
served, except an epistle, never received into the canon of 
Scripture." 

^' The name Barnabas, (given to this samt by the Apostles, 
instead of his former name, Joses,) signifies son of consola- 
tion ; referring, probably, to the benevolence of his disposi- 
tion, which might have been consulted when he was appointed 
to accompany St. Paul, with a charitable contribution from 
Antioch, to the brethren in Judea." 

St. Bartholomew's Day. The day appointed for the 
commemoration of this Apostle. In the catalogue of the 
Apostles, which is given by the first three of the Evangelists, 
Bartholomew makes one of the number. 

" St, John, however, not mentioning him, and recording 



BEN 67 

several things of another disciple, whom he calls Nathanael, 
and who is not named by the other Evangelists, has occa- 
sioned many to be of the opinion, that Bartholomew and Na- 
thanael were the same person." 

St. Bartholomew is said to have preached the gospel in 
the greater Armenia, and to have converted the Lycaonians 
to Christianity. It is also certain that he carried the gospel 
into India ;' and as there is no record of his return, it is not 
improbable that he suffered martyrdom in that country. 

St. Bart's Day. An abbreviation of St. Bartholomew's 
Day, which See. 

Benedic anima mea. The first words, in Latin, of a hymn 
appointed to be said or sung after the second Lesson in the 
evening service. For the sake of variety, the Church 
has appointed two hymns after each Lesson, one of which is 
always chanted, or read alternately by the minister and 
people. 

The hymn before us, and its substitute, the " Deus miser ea- 
iur^'' are taken from the Book of Psalms ; and, as we have 
immediately before been attending to the reading of God's 
holy word, we are now required to stand up, and join in these 
songs of praise, to testify our thankfulness to God, for his 
blessed gospel, and for having instructed us in the way to 
final happiness. 

Benedicite, or Song of the three Children, The title of one 
of the hymns after the first Lesson in the Morning service. 
It may be used instead of the Te Deum, which stands imme- 
diately before it. 

This hymn is taken from the Apocrypha, and is therefore not 
read as a portion of holy scripture, but as a venerable and 
pious composition, accordant with the sentiments of inspired 
writ, and the feelings of every devotional mind. It is called 
the Song of the Three Children, because it was supposed to 
have been sung by the three young Hebrews who were named 



68 BEN 

by Nebuchadnezzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. In 
the third chapter of Daniel, we read that these youths were 
cast into a fiery furnace, by order of the king, because they 
refused to fall down and worship the golden image he had 
set up. But, though the furnace was heated " seven times 
more than it was wont to be," and the flames were fierce 
enough to burn the men who stood around, yet, by a remark- 
able miracle, the young men were preserved from injury ; in 
the words of scripture, " the fire had no power upon their 
bodies, nor was a hair of their head singed, neither were their 
coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them."* 

It is not stated in the Bible, that they really sung this hymn 
when they were thus delivered from the flames ; neither is it 
used by the Church in memory of that particular event, but 
as a general song of praise to God from all his creatures, in 
style and manner resembling the 148th Psalm. 

In the first Prayer-book of Edward VI. the Benedicite 
was appointed to be used during the season of Lent, and 
the Te Deum through the remainder of the year. This 
restriction does not now exist, the two hymns being inter- 
changeable. 

In the English Prayer-book the last verse of the Benedi- 
cite, appears thus : — " O Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, bless 
ye the Lord : praise him and magnify him for ever." This 
has been omitted in the American editions, probably on the 
ground of its containing an invocation or appeal to departed 
spirits. 

Benediction. A solemn act of Messing performed by the 
Bishops and Priests of the Church. In the Jewish Church, 
the priests, by the command of God, were to bless the people, 
by saying, " The Lord bless thee, and keep thee. The Lord 
make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee. 

* Daniel iii, 27. 



BEN 69 

The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee 
peace."* 

In the Episcopal Church, several forms of blessing are 
used, agreeing with the particular office of which they form a 
part. The ordinary benediction at the close of divine ser- 
vice, is quoted from the end of the Communion Office, in 
these words : — " The peace of God, which passeth all under- 
standing, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and 
love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord : and the 
blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy 
Ghost, be amongst you, and remain with you always." The 
fwmer part of this is taken from Philippians iv. 7, and the 
latter may be considered as " a Christian paraphrase upon 
Num. vi. 24," &c. 

Other forms of blessing, or modifications of the above, 
may be found in the Offices for Confirmation, Matrimony, the 
Visitation of the Sick, Visitation of Prisoners, and the Office 
of Institution. 

Benedictus.* The Latin for ^^ Blessed,''^ which is the first 
word in one of the hymns to be said or sung after the second 
Lesson in the Morning Service of the Church. 

The Benedictus is taken from Luke i. from the 68th to the 
72d verse, being part of the song of Zacharias the priest, 
concerning his son John the Baptist, who was to be the fore- 
runner of Christ, but was then only in his infancy. The hymn 
also relates in part to our Blessed Lord himself, for Zacharias 
blessed God that he had " raised up an horn of salvation for 
us, in the house of his servant David." This evidently refers 
to Jesus Christ, who, in his human nature, descended from the 
family or " house" of David. 

Benefice. In England, an ecclesiastical living, church, or 
pastoral charge. 



* Numbers vi. 24, 25, 26. 



70 BIR 

Bidding of Prayer. The ancient custom of announcing 
to the people the subjects for which their prayers were re- 
quired. This generally took place immediately before the 
sermon. The preacher having already taken his station, and 
named his text, (as Bishop Burnett tells us,) proceeded to call 
the people to their devotions, bidding them to pray for the 
King, the Pope, the Bishop, &c., &c. " After which, all the 
people said their beads in a general silence, and the minister 
kneeled down likewise, and said his : they were to say a 
Pater noster, Ave Maria, &c., and then the sermon pro- 
ceeded." 

The distinction between actual praying, and the mere bid- 
ding of prayer, is a plain one. For example : In our Com- 
munion Office, the minister is directed to say, " Let us pray 
for the whole state of Chrisfs Church militant.^' This is, in 
fact, bidding^ the congregation to pray for that object ; the 
prayer itsef follows after, according to the form prescribed. 
Again : in the Ordering of Priests, the Bishop having prayed 
for " strength and power" to be given to the candidates, to 
perform the obligations about to be assumed by them, desires 
the congregation (bids them) " secretly in their prayers, to 
make their humble supplications to God for all these things. ^^ 
The same thing occurs in the consecration of Bishops, and in 
the Baptismal Offices; and whenever the Minister announces 
the request of prayers for persona afflicted, &;c., &c. 

Birth-days. In the ancient Church, this term, in its ap- 
plication to martyrs, and the festivals in honor of them, ex- 
pressed the day on which they suffered death, or were born 
into the glory and happiness of the kingdom above. In this 
sense it stood distinct from the time of their natural birth into 
the world, which was considered as an event so inferior, that 
its ordinary designation was merged in that of a translation 
to the joys of a better world. " When ye hear of a birth-day 
of saints, brethren," says Peter Chrysologus, " do not think 



BIS . 71 

that that is spoken of, in which they are born on earth, of the 
flesh, but (that in which they are born) from earth into heaven, 
from labor to rest, from temptations to repose, from torments 
to delights, not fluctuating, but strong, and stable, and eternal, 
from the derision of the world to a crown and glory. Such 
are the birth-days of the martyrs that we celebrate." 

BiSHor. From the Saxon, biscop. The designation of 
those who occupy the highest grade of the Christian Ministry. 
As we have already treated of the origin and nature of this 
order under the head of Apostle, (to which the reader is re- 
ferred,) it is unnecessary to go again over the same ground, 
except by way of recapitulation. 

The office to which the name of Bishop has for many cen- 
turies been appropriated, is identical with that, which in the 
New Testament bears the style of Apostle. It is clear that 
the Apostles were to have successors, and that some of those 
successors were to possess and to exercise those ecclesiastical 
endowments which were held by their ordainers. We say 
ecclesiastical endowments, as distinguished from miraculous 
powers ; for these latter were not distinctive of the ministry, 
being often conferred on the laity, while the former embrace 
every essential feature of the clerical office. To these suc- 
cessors, then, the Apostles or first Bishops committed either 
the whole or a part of their official powers, as the case might 
be. And it is in reference to this fact, that not only Bishops 
but presbyters and deacons are said to be successors of the 
Apostles, the two inferior orders inheriting a portion of that 
spiritual authority, which is enjoyed in full only by the Bishop. 
More appropriately, however, the term successor belongs only 
to the Bishop, inasmuch as he alone possesses the entire pow- 
ers of the ministry, as committed originally to the Apostles, 
and in this sense we shall here use the word. 

If then. Bishops are the true successors of the Apostles, 
the question may very naturally be asked, " Why are they 



72 BISHOP. 

distinguished by their present title ? or, if they enjoy the 
ministerial authority of the Apostles, why not their name 
also ?" To this we reply, that the New Testament is 
evidence that, at first, the name and the office were 
linked together, as appears in the case of several who re- 
ceived the full episcopal authority from the primitive Apostles. 
And there is some evidence that this continued for a time to 
be the custom of the Church, but was finally changed, out of 
respect to those who had received their commission directly 
from the Head of the Church. This we learn from Theodo- 
ret, who says, that " those who are now called Bishops, were 
[anciently] called Apostles. But, shortly after, the name of 
Apostles was appropriated to such only as were Apostles in- 
deed ; and then the name Bishop was given to those who 
before were called Apostles." And the author, under the 
name of Ambrose, declares that " they who are now called 
Bishops were originally called Apostles ; but the holy Apos- 
tles being dead, they who were ordained after them to govern 
the Churches, could not arrive to the excellency of those first ; 
nor had they the testimony of miracles, but were in many 
other respects inferior to them. Therefore they thought it 
not decent to assume to themselves the name of Apostles ; 
but dividing the names, they left to presbyters the name of the 
presbytery, and they themselves were called Bishops."* 

From this it is evident that the change of name was not 
the change of office. But as the opponents of Episcopacy 
have frequently availed themselves of a supposed argument 
arising from the fact that in the New Testament, Bishops were 
not superior to preshyters or elders, (overlooking altogether , 
the superior grade of Apostles, which was the true original of 
our Bishops,) it may not be useless to state that, in the New 



* Quoted by Bingham — Origines Ecclesiasticee, I. p. 51. 



BISHOP. 73 

Testament, the names of the three orders of the Ministry 
stand thus, viz : 

1st Order, Apostle. 

2d Order, Bishop, Presbyter, or Elder. 
3d Order, Deacon. 
Here it will be seen that the name of Bishop belonged lo 
those who filled not the Jirst but the second rank of the min- 
istry. But, for the reasons above stated, the Church, while 
she still retained the three distinct orders unchanged, at a 
very early period made a slight alteration in the titles, by the 
disuse of the term Apostle, and the substitution for it of that 
of Bishop, which, after this, continued no longer to be the 
designation of the second rank of the Ministry. Under this 
modification, which still exists, the names stand thus, viz : 
1st Order, Bishop, (formerly Apostle.) 
2d Order, Presbyter or Elder. 
3d Order, Deacon. 
From this simple explanation may be seen the futility and 
the unfairness of any argument against Episcopacy, derived 
from the fact that New Testament Bishops and Presbyters 
were of the same order. A candid mind will at once decide, 
that if the Scriptural use of the titles be adopted at all, it 
should be adopted in full ; and then, while presbyters would 
take the name also of Bishops, Bishops would be equally en- 
titled to that of Apostles. 

Still, lest it might be thought that the adoption of a lower 
name indicated a withdrawal of some portion of the dignity 
or prerogatives of the office, it will not be out of place to 
remark that, in the primitive Church, the Bishops were sur- 
rounded with an array of additional titles, which leave no 
room for such a supposition. Among these were 

Principes Ecclesise, Princes of the Church. 
Principes Sacerdotum, Princes of the Clergy. 
Summi Sacerdotes, High Priests. 

Pontifices Maximi, Chief Priests. 

7 



74 BISHOP. 

Prsepositi, Presidents of the Church. 

Patres Patrum, Fathers of fathers. 

Patriarchs. 

Angels of the Churches. 
These titles, and many others equally strong, which were 
given only to the Bishops, imply a full recognition of the high 
powers of the Apostolate, as existing in these direct suc- 
cessors of the original Prelates or Apostles of the New Tes- 
tament. The introduction and use of such exalted titles can 
be accounted for in no other way, unless we suppose that be- 
fore the Apostles were cold in their graves, the whole Chris- 
tian world had become afflicted with lunacy. 

Another proof of the eminent and apostolic rank of Bish- 
ops, arises from the fact that early writers have been careful 
to record the ecclesiastical genealogy or succession of these 
men, in several of the principal Churches. Thus we have 
catalogues of the Bishops of Rome, Jerusalem, Antioch, &c., 
though it does not appear that the presbyters and deacons of 
those Churches were honored with any similar notice. 

The primitive Bishops, like the Apostles, were on a perfect 
equality in respect to their spiritual powers. Distinctions, it 
is true, took place at an early period, grounded on the relative 
importance and civil rank of the various cities and dioceses 
in which they presided, and also from other considerations of 
expediency and convenience in the administration of disci- 
pline, &c., in the larger divisions of the Church. Hence the 
titles and offices of Patriarchs, Primates, Metropolitans, Arch- 
bishops, Chorepiscopi, and Suff*ragans, in all which there was 
but one and the self-same order of the Ministry, though mani- 
festing itself in so many " differences of administration" and 
"diversities of operation." To substantiate this, it is only 
necessary to recur to the distinctive functions of the Episco- 
pate, which were those of ordination, confirmation and juris- 
diction. As it respects the first two, there was not the 
slightest difference between the validity and true efficacy of 



SRTSHOP. 



75 



the acts of a Patriarch, and those of the humblest Bishop in 
his province. Neither was the proper spiritual jurisdiction of 
a diocese diminished, by the responsibility of its Bishop to one 
whom the Church had placed in the Metropolitan chair. The 
spiritual powers of a Bishop can never be changed without 
the consent of the Head of the Church ; but, while these are 
preserved in their full integrity, the Church itself may, if need 
be, establish modes and appoint peculiar officers for the more 
efficient administration of her discipline ; and such arrange- 
ments being grounded solely on human enactment, may be 
continued or suspended by the same authority which origin, 
ated them, just as the position and welfare of the Church may 
render them expedient or superfluous. 

In the American Church, the Bishops are all of equal au- 
thority, each ruling his own diocese, independent of the con- 
trol of an ecclesiastical superior. To one common Liturgy, 
Constitution, and body of General Canons, all are bound to 
conform, according to primitive practice ; but no Bishop is 
amenable to any central authority, other than that of the 
Church itself, or a body of his peers. 

The peculiar duties assigned to the " Senior Bishop," or 
the oldest in the order of consecration, do not form an ex- 
ception to this rule, his jurisdiction extending no further than 
his own diocese, and no Bishop being accountable to him as 
to a superior or general overseer. See Senior BiSiiop. Our 
Church has, therefore, no office precisely corresponding with 
that of an Archbishop ; neither, on the other hand, has the 
system of Suffragan Bishops been allowed by the Canons. 
Midway between these, all our Bishops stand on the indepen- 
dent and firm ground of apostolic precedent and usage, each 
invested with the plenary power of jurisdiction within his own 
diocese, and not subject (except in the case of assistants) to the 
direct supervision of others, nor authorized to assume such a 
supervision over them. 

The only peculiarities exhibited by the Episcopacy of this 



76 



BTSTTOP- 



Church, are those of Assistants and Missionary Bishops. Of 
the former we have already spoken under the appropriate 
head, and refer the reader further to the article Suffragan, 
where a distinction of some importance will be pointed out. 

Missionary Bishops are those who are sent " to exercise 
Episcopal functions in states and territories not organized as 
dioceses." Before the General Convention of 1835, our 
Missions had invariably been committed to the care of pres- 
byters and deacons, and consequently, in remote districts, the 
ministerial order of the Church was always presented in the 
imperfect shape of a body deprived of its head. Besides 
this, there were other difficulties flowing from the want of the 
proper officer to administer confirmation, &c., — to watch 
over and encourage the resident clergy, and to go forth like 
the Apostles of old, and with their authority, to lay strong and 
deep the first foundations of the Christian Church. To meet 
this exigency, the 2d Canon of 1835 was passed, which pro- 
vides that Bishops may be consecrated for this service, on 
nomination by the House of Bishops, and election by the 
House of Clerical and Lay Deputies ; such Bishops to " ex- 
ercise episcopal functions in such states and territories as the 
House of Bishops may prescribe." By the same Canon it is 
ordered that " each Missionary Bishop shall have jurisdiction 
over the Clergy in the district assigned him." Missionary 
Bishops may also be consecrated for foreign parts, under cer- 
tain regulations prescribed in the Canon; and all Missionary 
Bishops are entitled to a seat in the House of Bishops, — are 
eligible for election to any vacant diocese in this Church, and 
are required to report their proceedings to each General 
Convention, and also annually, at least, to the Board of 
Missions. 

The mode of proceeding in the election of a Diocesan 
Bishop, in all cases where there is a sufficient number of offi- 
dating presbyters to entitle the Diocese to a Bishop, is regu- 
lated and determined by the Canons of the Diocese electing 



BLE 77 

him. But in a Diocese where there is not the canonical num- 
ber of presbyters, a Bishop may be obtained by a vote of its 
Convention, requesting " the General Convention to elect a 
Bishop for the same." In which case, the House of Bishops 
nominate a person for the office, and on the concurrence of 
the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies, he may be con- 
secrated. 

The 3d Section of Canon I. of 1835, ordains that « To 
entitle a Diocese to the choice of a Bishop, by the Conven- 
tion thereof, there must be, at the time of such choice, and 
have been during the year previous, at least six officiating 
presbyters therein regularly settled, in a parish or church, and 
qualified to vote for a Bishop ; and six or more parishes re- 
presented in the Convention electing." 

Translations, or direct removals of Bishops from the charge 
of one Diocese to that of another, have not been sanctioned 
by the Canons of the American Church. See Transla- 
tions. 

The resignation of a Diocese by its Bishop, is allowed in 
this Church, but only under the restrictions imposed by the 
32d Canon of the General Convention. 

Respecting Episcopal Visitations, See Visitations Epis- 
copal. 

Bishopric. A Diocese, or that portion of the Church over 
which a Bishop's power of jurisdiction extends. 

Also, the ojfice or prerogatives of a Bishop, equivalent to 
the Episcopate. This seems to be the sense in Acts i. 20 : — 
"his Bishopric, [that of Judas,] let another take." The 
marginal reading is, " Overseer^s office," which is all it could 
mean at that time — Dioceses proper not being then in exist- 
ence. 

Blessed Virgin. The title of " Blessed " is given on the 
authority of scripture, to the mother of our Lord : — " Hail, 
thou art highly favored, the Lord is with thee : blessed art 



78 BOW 

thou among women.*'* In the song of the Virgin, also, oc- 
curs the expression :■ — " Behold, from henceforth all genera, 
tions shall call me Uessed.^''^ In the use of this term, the 
Church has therefore a sufficient guaranty to relieve her from 
the slightest charge of superstition. Says Latimer : — " Mary 
was a Messed woman, and yet not such as should be worship- 
ped. "J Undoubtedly : and wisely has the Church repudi- 
ated all such worship, and all invocations and other forms 
which might lead to it, by presenting to us a Liturgy free 
from those excrescences, and yet respectful enough to the 
Virgin Mary, to number us with those generations which shall 
call her blessed. 

Blessing. See Benediction. 

BoNU3i EST. The first words, in Latin, of one of the 
hymns in the Evening Service, beginning : — " It is a good 
thing," &;c. 

This hymn, or the longer one which precedes it, called 
" Cantate Domino," is appointed to be read or chaiited after 
the conclusion of the first Lesson. 

" Both kinds." This expression is found in one of the 
rubrics of the Communion service. It is a technical or scho- 
lastic phrase, meaning that at the reception of the Holy Com- 
munion, both the bread and wine should be given to the lay 
communicants. The allusion is to the custom of the Romish 
Church, of withholding the wine from the laity, who are thus 
said to communicate in only one kind, while in Protestant 
Churches hotli the elements are given, and the communicants 
are said to receive in " ioth kinds.'^ See the rubric in the 
Communion Office, immediately preceding the delivery of the 
elements, and also Article XXX. 

Bowing at the name of Jesus. It is a significant and long 



* Luke, i. 28. t Luke, i. 48. 

t Sermon on the Birth of Christ. 



BOWING AT THE NAME OF JESUS. 79 

established custom of the Church, to make some external 
mark of reverence at the occurrence of the name of Jesus in 
the services of the sanctuary. Whether this took its rise 
from a literal understanding of the words of St. Paul, that 
" at the name of Jesus every knee should bow," &c. or from 
the reasonableness of the thing itself, or as a strong and pal- 
pable check against heresy respecting our Lord's divinity, it 
is at this distance of time impossible to say. Perhaps all 
these motives had an influence in the establishment of the 
custom. 

The usual form of obeisance adopted, is that of bowing the 
head ; and in the eighteenth Canon of the Church of England, 
external obeisance is made obligatory not only in the Creed, 
but in other parts of the service where the name of Jesus oc- 
curs. The grounds on which it is placed will be seen in the 
following extract from the Canon : — " When in time of di- 
vine service the Lord Jesus shall be mentioned, due and 
lowly reverence shall be done by all persons present, as it has 
been accustomed ; testifying by these outward ceremonies 
and gestures their inward humility. Christian resolution, and 
due acknowledgment that the Lord Jesus Christ, the true 
eternal Son of God, is the only Saviour of the world, in whom 
alone all the mercies, graces, and promises of God to man- 
kind for this life, and the life to come, are fully and w^holly 
comprised." 

No heresy can be more dangerous and destructive of the 
souls of men, than that of a denial of the essential divinity of 
the Son of God. And in proportion to the danger, has been 
the care of the Church to make her children strong in the 
faith, and ever watchful against the intrusion of this deadly 
error. Hence the powerful and striking language employed 
in all her Creeds, in asserting the cardinal point of every 
Christian man's belief; and the constant and undeviating 
proclamation of it in every part of the Liturgy, especially in 
the frequent occurrence of the Gloria Patri. The same bene- 



80 BUR 

ficial tendency must be ascribed to the act of obeisance we 
are considering ; which, though not resting on canonical au- 
thority in the American Church, is yet a custom too closely 
linked with important fact to be hastily thrown aside, or ac- 
counted a mere ceremony. It is a perilous matter, hints a 
writer, to abrogate a custom which nourishes the germ of a 
living doctrine. This is serious truth ; and it may be safely 
predicted, that if the plague of Socinianism shall ever cross 
the threshold of the Church, it will not date its triumphs from 
the pulpit, but from the gradual disuse of the doxologies, the 
invocations, and the ascriptions of honor to Christ, in that 
nobler barrier of the Church — the Liturgy. In the fore-front 
of these stands that act of obeisance, which the Church has 
long and universally rendered to her Divine Head. We only 
ask those who neglect it, can they tell " whereunto this may 
grow ?" 

Boy-bishop. (Episcopus puerorum.) In the ancient 
Church, this appellation was given to one of the boys of the 
choir, who, at the time of the celebration of certain feasts, 
assumed the garments of a Bishop, and in them ludicrously 
exercised among his companions episcopal jurisdiction. His 
office lasted about a month, and if he died in its execution, he 
was buried in pontijlcalibus.* 

Breviary. A book containing the daily service and forms 
of the Romish Church. 

Burial Service. This rich and affecting portion of our 
ritual, has long been considered as an evidence of the admi- 
rable judgment which tempered the minds of the reformers of 
the Church of England. Some slight alterations have been 
made in the American editions, by the revisal or omission of 
a few expressions liable to misconstruction, but nothing to 
efface or diminish the sweet serenity and holy feeling which 
pervade the entire office, 

* Lrws relating to the Clergy. 



BURIAL SERVICE. 81 

The Protestant Episcopal Church, in her burial service, 
looks solely to the benefit of the living, and in this respect dif- 
fers widely from those Churches whose funeral offices con- 
template some beneficial result to the departed spirit. Hence 
the entire absence of prayers for the dead, and those super- 
stitious ceremonies which abound in the ritual of the Church 
of Rome, &c., the greater part of which are as useless to the 
living as they are unprofitable to the dead. Even should we 
place the burial service on the low ground of a mere testi- 
mony of respect to our deceased friends, it is still an influen- 
tial lesson for those who Survive, by encouraging them to imi- 
tate the virtues they are so affectingly called to revere. 

Religious solemnities at funerals can never be lightly es- 
teemed by those who reflect on the destiny of the human 
body. That body is the handiwork of God, and wilP one 
day be raised, to renew a life not of months and years, but 
of immortality like that of the angels of heaven. Among all 
the usages of the Church, there is none which takes us so 
near to the brink of eternity as this ; which opens so vast a 
range of meditation on futurity ; and which gives a more 
healthful tone to a mind too apt to be cankered with this 
world's pursuits. All Christian nations have felt this, and 
hence have arisen the rites which always accompany sepul- 
ture in every part of Christendom. 

The rubric at the head of the Order for Burial, expressly 
forbids the use of this service "for any unbaptized adults, any 
who die excommunicate, or who have laid violent hands upon 
themsslves." And in the General Convention of 1808, it 
Avas declared that the office ought not to be used, in the case of 
any person who shall give or accept a challenge to a duel. 
This resolution was modified by the General Convention of 
1811, to admit the performance of this service, when such 
persons have afterwards exhibited evidences of sincere 
repentance. 

The key to the rubric, is the simple fact that the Burial 



82 BURIAL SERVICE. 

Service is framed to meet the conditioQ of those only who 
die in the communion of the Church. Hence, 1st, It is 
wholly improper in the case of those who have never entered 
her pale by the sacrament of Baptism. On these the Church 
passes no sentence, leaving that for the Judge of all men ; 
hut yet " cannot properly use an office at their funeral, which 
all along supposes the person that is buried, to have died in 
her communion." * The same remark will apply, 2d, to 
those who have been excommunicated, or publicly rejected 
from the communion of the Church. These are "denied 
Christian burial also, with the intent of brinorinor the excom- 
municated to seek their absolution, and the Church's peace 
for their soul's health, ere they leave this world." f And 
3d, suicides are denied the same office, "and for very great 
reason : namely, to terrify all from committing so detestable 
and desperate a sin, as is the wilful destroying of God's 
image, the casting away of their own souls, as well as their 
opportunities of repentance : the Church hereby declaring, 
that she hath little hope of their salvation, who die in an act 
of the greatest wickedness, which they can never repent of, 
after it be committed." f 

In the Burial service in the English Prayer-book, objec- 
tions have been made against certain phrases in the two final 
prayers, as implying too strong a confidence in the salvation 
of the deceased, to be used with safety on all occasions. 
These expressions have been vindicated by the English 
ritualists ; but in the American revisal are rejected alto- 
gether, or so changed as to remove all objection. 

In the first book of King Edward, it was ordered by rubric, 
that the Priest should appear at funerals in his Surplice. 

* Wheatly, t Dean Comber, 



CALENDAR. 83 



c, 



Calendar. A methodical distribution of time throughout 
the year, into months, weeks, and days. 

The Calendar in the Prayer-book is a list of all the days 
in the year, with the appropriate titles of all the immoveable 
feasts, i. e. such as occur on certain fixed days. In connection 
with the Calendar, the Church sets forth her course of Scrip- 
ture lessons, for the various days, in columns parallel with 
the Calendar. Of these, strictly speaking, the list of days 
alone constitutes the Calendar ; hence the running title in the 
English and some American Prayer-books, viz. " The Cal- 
endar, with the Table of Lessons ; " but by popular usage, the 
list of daily lessons is now embraced under the same general 
title of Calendar. 

The chief object of the Calendar is that of prescribing the 
lessons of Scripture to be used in public service on each 
ordinary day of the year ; and the necessity and usefulness of 
these tables will be appreciated, when it is recollected that 
the Church service was originally designed for daily use, and 
not merely for Sundays and holy days. 

In the American Prayer-book the Calendar consists of 
seven columns. In the first is given the day of the month. 
The second contains the first seven letters of the alphabet 
affixed to the days of the week, of which we shall speak more 
at length in another place. See Sunday letter. In the third 
column, are the names of the immoveable feasts. The next 
two columns give the references for the first and second 
lessons of morning prayer, and the last two those for evening 
prayer. 

It will be observed, that in the columns of lessons there 
are vacancies opposite to all the days designated as holy 
days. Sometimes the omission is of all the lessons of morn- 
ing and evening prayer ; at other times, of only the first 



84 CAN 

lessons. In such cases, the proper lessons will be found 
in the table for holy days, immediately preceding the Cal- 
endar, which, in connection with the Calendar, gives the 
full allotment of lessons for each of those days. 

Before the Calendar, is placed a " Table of Lessons for 
Sundays," which takes precedence of the lessons appointed 
in the former for the days of the month on which any of those 
Sundays may fall. Thus, if the 10th of June should be an 
ordinary day of the week, the lessons for that day would 
be found, by consulting the Calendar, opposite to that date. 
But if otherwise, (i. e. if the 10th of June were a Sunday,) 
the Calendar lessons would not be used, but those prescribed 
for that particular Sunday in the appointed table. The same 
order is followed in relation to the other holy days, for which 
special provision is made in the " Table of Lessons for Holy 
Days." These always take precedence of the current les- 
sons in the Calendar. 

The views of the Church in the appointment of occasional 
lessons from the Apoceypha, will be found by a reference to 
the article under that head. 

Candidate. In the Church, one who is in a state of pre- 
paration for the Ministry, or for any pubUc act or office of 
a religious nature. 

Candidates for Baptism, when adults, are required to give 
timely notice to the Minister ; " that so due care may be 
taken for their examination, whether they be sufficiently in- 
structed in the principles of the Christian religion; and that 
they may be exhorted to prepare themselves with prayers 
and fastings for the receiving of this Holy Sacrament." 

Candidates for Confirmation, are expected diligently to 
prosecute their preparatory religious exercises, under the 
direction and care of their pastor, seeking earnestly for those 
holy dispositions and solemn purposes for the future, to which 
the minister must look as evidence that they are " fit to be 
presented to the Bishop to be confirmed." 



CAN 85 

Candidates for the Holy Communion, having been made 
members of the Church by baptism, are required cither to be 
confirmed, or to be " ready and desirous to be confirmed," 
previously to their admission to the altar. And the pastor 
is also empowered by virtue of his office, to reject all such 
as come within the description of unworthy applicants, as 
given in the Rubrics at the head of the Communion Office. 

Candidates for Holy Orders, are a class of persons for 
whose conduct and regulation certain Canons are set forth by 
the Church. These relate to various points connected with 
moral and religious character, — literary attainments, — attach- 
ment to the Church, — term of study, — proceedings in view of 
ordination, &c. &c. ; for full information on which, the 
reader will consult Canons IX. X. XI. and XII. of the 
General Convention. See also Lay Reader. 

Candlemas day. A name formerly given to the festival 
of the Purification of the Virgin Mary. In the ancient 
Church, this day was remarkable for the number of lighted 
candles, &c., which were borne about in processions, and placed 
in the churches, in memory of Him who came to be " a light 
to lighten the Gentiles," and the glory of his people Israel. 
From this custom the name is supposed to be derived. 

Canon. A word of very extensive signification in the 
language of the Church, but always carrying, more or less, 
the sense of the original Greek, xavwv, a rule or measure. 
The following are instances of the various applications of 
the word in the ancient and modern Church. 

1. The roll or catalogue of the Clergy. Hence all those 
who were enrolled were anciently called Canonici* The 
sixteenth Canon of the Council of Nice begins thus : — 
" Whatever Priests or Deacons, or whoever are listed in the 
Canon, do rashly * * * * remove from the Church," &c. 
And in the 2d Canon of Antioch we have a still better ex- 

* Bingham, I. 37. 



86 CAN 

ample. " If any Bishop, Priest, or Deacon, or other who 
belongs to the Canon, communicate with one excommu- 
nicated, he also shall be excommunicated, as confounding the 
Canon of the Church." 

2. The Creed. So called in the ancient Church, from its 
being the authorized standard, or rule of the orthodox faith. 

3. That part of the Communion Office, including the con- 
secration of the Elements, which was fixed and invariable; 
differing in this respect from other portions of the Liturgy, 
which might be changed by the proper ecclesiastical 
authorities. 

4. A certain tax or tribute exacted in the ancient Church, 
of men, " for their lands and possessions." * 

5. The authorized list or catalogue of the books of Holy 
Scripture. 

6. A law or ordinance of the Church, enacted by a Coun- 
cil or other ecclesiastical body. This is the sense in which 
the term is now commonly used. See Canon of the Church. 

7. In the Church of England, a clergyman who receives 
a prebend or stipend, for the performance of divine service in 
a cathedral or collegiate Church. " Originally Canons were 
only priests, or inferior ecclesiastics, who lived in the com- 
munity, residing near the cathedral Church, to assist the 
bishop, depending entirely on his will, supported by the 
revenues of his bishopric, and living in the same house as his 
domestics or counsellors, &c. By degrees, these commu- 
nities of priests, shaking off their dependence, formed sepa- 
pate bodies; in time they freed themselves from their rules, 
and at length ceased to live in a community." 

Canons of the Church. The laws or ordinances by which 
the discipline and government of the Church is maintained. 
In the American Church these are of two kinds : — 1st. The 



* Bingham, I. 441. 



CAN 87 

Canons of the General Convention, which have force through- 
out all the Dioceses of this Church in the United States. 
2d. Diocesan Canons, the obligation of which extends only to 
the particular Diocese in which they are enacted. 

The design of the General Canons is, to ensure to the 
whole Church, the blessings of unity, peace, and concord, the 
attainment of which would be worse than problematical, 
without the adoption of some broader system of legislation 
than that of individual Dioceses in their own separate Con- 
ventions. 

The particular or Diocesan Canons, on the other hand, are 
framed by the Conventions of the several Dioceses, and sup- 
ply rules and forms of proceeding, adapted to the circum- 
stances and wants of the portions of the Church for which 
they are designed, including regulations for those subordinate 
acts of discipline, &c. which, from the nature of the case, do 
not fall within the province of the General Convention to de- 
termine. 

Canon of Scripture. The term Canon, or Rule, has, from 
the earliest times, been employed to designate the exact list, 
or catalogue, of the inspired writings. In a stricter sense, it 
denotes the Scriptures themselves, as constituting the deter- 
minate and only rule of a "Christian's faith and pra<itice." 
Hence they were often spoken of collectively as "the Canon 
of truth," — " the true Evangelical Canon," — or, " the Eccle- 
siastical Canon ;" and such books as were divinely inspired, 
bore the name of canonical, or were said to have been re- 
ceived into the sacred Canon. 

In Article VI. the Church declares, in the first place, the 
" sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation," and then 
sets forth " the names and numbers of the Canonical Books." 
One leading object of this definition was to counteract the er- 
ror of the Church of Rome on these points. The Romanists 
contend that " the books of the New Testament do not con- 
tain the whole rule of a Christian's faith and practice ; they 



03 CAN 

believe that the Apostles orally delivered many doctrines and 
precepts of the highest importance to our eternal happiness, 
which are not contained in the New Testament ; and they 
further believe, that these doctrines and precepts have been 
faithfully transmitted to the present times, and there is an in- 
fallible anthority, vested by Christ in his Church, to judge of 
their correctness, and to distinguish those which are true 
from those which are false. On the contrary, we of the 
Church of England affirm, that the Scriptures contain a com- 
plete rule of faith and practice ; and we reject every doc- 
trine and precept, as essential to salvation, or to be obeyed 
as divine, which is not supported by their authority."* 

As the Romanists also contend for the canonical authority 
of most of the Apocryphal Books, and ratify this by the deter- 
mination of the Council of Trent, the latter portion of the Ar- 
ticle sets forth the limits of the Canon, and the views of the 
Church relative to the " other Books called Apocryphal." 

Canonical. According to the Canon. Thus, the Epis- 
tles of St. Paul are called Canonical Books, because they are 
found in the Canon of Scripture, or in the list of sacred books 
forming the Bible. 

The word refers, also, to such things as are done agreeably 
to the Canons of the Church. For example ; — if the Bishop 
of Virginia or of Kentucky should in those States admin- 
ister ordination or confirmation, it would be right and canon- 
ical, because to them is committed the spiritual jurisdiction 
of those States or Dioceses ; but if they should perform the 
same acts in New-York or Pennsylvania, &lc. without per- 
mission from the Ecclesiastical authority there, it would be 
uncanonical, because directly contrary to. the Canons or laws 
of the Church. 

Canonical Hours. In the Church of England, certain 
portions of time set apart for the performance of Divine 



* Bishop Tomline. 



CAN 89 

offices, &c. Thus, marriage cannot there be legally sol- 
emnized in the Church, except between the hours of eight 
and twelve in the morning. 

Canonically Resident. Every Clergyman is under the 
care and authority of some one of the Bishops, and if he re- 
side in the same Diocese with his Bishop, he is said to 
be canonically resident ; that is; he lives, (according to the 
Canons of the Church,) in that Diocese where his Bishop has 
authority, and the Churches of which are subject to his gov- 
ernment. If a Clergyman remove into another Diocese, 
without having letters of dismission to the Bishop of that Dio- 
cese, he is no longer canonically (though actually) resident ; 
because he has left the Diocese in which his Bishop has au- 
thority. But if he obtain the required letters, and is received 
under the care of the Bishop of the Diocese into which he 
has removed, he has then become canonically resident in 
that Diocese, and is subject to its Bishop. See Dismissory 
Letter. 

Canonization. In the Romish Church, the ceremony or act 
of enrolling a deceased person in the list of saints. 

Cantate Domino. (" O sing unto the Lord.") One of 
the inspired anthems to be " said or sung " after the first 
lesson at^Evening Prayer. Universal testimony, both Jewish 
and Christian, has long ago decided that this Psalm is pro- 
phetical of the Messiah, and the triumphs of his kingdom. 
And there is in it, a strain of such noble rejoicing, connected 
with so clear a statement of particulars applicable only to the 
Christian dispensation, that every one must see the propriety 
with which it is interwoven in the daily services of the Church. 
It is a song eminently evangelical. " Jesus is adored in the 
victories of his redemption, and the Church is called upon to 
sing aloud in the triumphs of his grace." 

In the opening of this Psalm the reasons are stated for this 
exulting song. " He hath done marvellous things." The 
Actor is the Redeemer of men. H^ hath done it, " I have 
8* 



90 , CANTATE DOMINO. 

trodden the wine-press alone." And, more than this, " he 
hath gotten himself the victory." Who were the foes Christ 
defeated ? Did sin oppose him ? He " finished transgres- 
sion, and made an end of sin." Did the Prince of darkness 
assail him ? " For this purpose the Son of God was mani- 
fested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." Did 
death withstand him ? He replies, " O death ! I will be thy 
plagues. O grave ! I will be thy destruction." Did hell 
frown upon him ? He robbed it of its prey, and gave to 
mankind the hope of everlasting life. " Sing," therefore, "to 
the Lord a new song." 

But now we come to the song itself; and how majestic the 
climax to which it towers ! Let all lands be joyful. And 
why ? Because the news of redemption has come ; — because 
the chain by which earth and heaven were once linked to- 
gether, but which was broken by sin, has suddenly been 
renewed. "Sing, rejoice, and give thanks." If God made 
the voice, let the voice praise him ; and not in tones of sor* 
row, but with the joyous notes of gratitude. Then, bring 
out the stringed instruments. Awake the harp, — " sing to the 
harp with a Psalm of thanksgiving." Yet more ; call up the 
stirring clarion, 

" Now give the hautboys breath," 

"with trumpets also and shawms ;" implying the use of all 
tvind instruments. The allusion is to the ceremonies at the 
inauguration of the Jewish kings. But it is the King of 
kings for whom this array of praise is made. " God is gone 
up with a shout ; the Lord with the sound of a trumpet." But 
there is yet a further advance ; " let the sea make a noise, and 
all that therein is ; the round world, and they that dwell 
therein." ^ Here, says a writer, " all inanimate creation seems 
called upon to join the song ; for if men should be silent, the 
very stones of the earth would cry out."* The climax admits 

* Hawker. 



CAN 91 

of another degree. " Let the floods clap their hands, and let 
the hills be joyful together before the Lord." Before, the ap- 
peal was to the sea ; now it ascends to the ten thousand 
rivers and streams. Before, it was to the round world ; now 
it echoes on the mountains and hills. Let all be joyful to- 
gether. Let all who dwell on the floods rejoice, and all who 
inhabit the hills. Li short, " let every thing that hath breath 
praise the Lord." Redemption has dawned on the world, 
and the reign of superstition, idolatry, and all the power of 
sin, is abolished, and can no longer boast of victory. But 
there is another motive besides this, and it is an awful one : 
"For he cometh to judge the earth." But why all this re- 
joicing at such an event ? How solemn the scene ! How 
alarming the thought, that so heart-searching a person should 
come to "bring to light the hidden things of darkness," and 
to make manifest all human counsels ! To the unbeliever, 
there is indeed little cause of joy ; but to all who love and 
obey the truth, the advent of Christ is a subject of cheering 
thought, and lively meditation. And he shall hereafter "judge 
the world with righteousness, and the people with equity." 
No partiality will vitiate his decisions, for without respect of 
persons, he will try every man by his works. Wouldst thou 
join with David in these rich exultations? Wouldst thou 
rejoice because there is one to whom all hearts are open ? 
Think then as the Psalmist did of human redemption. Mea- 
sure in some degree that mercy which brought Christ from 
above ; and then will wonder spring up within, and wonder 
will merge into love, and love will wake to praise. 

Cantica. The Latin for the Songs of Solomon. 

Canticle. A song or hymn. The Song of Solomon in 
the Bible, is composed of several shorter songs of this kind, 
and is frequently called by the title of "Canticles." In 
the Prayer-book, the hymn after the Te Deum, beginning " O 
all ye works of the Lord," &;c., is also denominated a 
" Canticle." 



9-2 CAT 

Cakdinal virtues. The chief or most excellent of Chris* 
tian graces. These are usually stated as four in number, 
viz : prudence, temperance, justice, and fortitude. 

" Carried about." In those countries where the Romish 
' Church prevails, it is a common custom to have religious pro- 
^ cessions, composed of priests, monks, and others, who pass along 
the streets and public ways, chanting psalms and hymns, and 
performing other acts of devotion. At many of these proces- 
sions, the bread which has been consecrated at the Holy Com- 
munion, (called by Roman Catholics " the host,^') is carried 
with great ceremony by one of the priests, and all who view 
the procession, whether it be in the Church or in the street, 
&c., are required to kneel while it passes ; and as they are 
taught that the " host" (or consecrated bread) has been 
changed into the body of Christ, they fall down and worship, 
when it is lifted up before them by the priest.* 

In reference to these practices. Article XXIV. of Religion, 
in the Prayer-book, says that " The Sacraments were not 
ordained of Christ to be gazed upon, or to be carried about, " 
&c. And in Article XXXVIII. it is repeated, that " The 
Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was not by Christ's Ordi- 
nance reserved, carried about, lifted up, or worshipped.^'' 

In the United States these customs are not observed ; but 
it has been thought best to retain in the Articles, the testi- 
mony of the Church against them, as being unscriptural, and 
tending rather to evil than to any good result. 

Cassock. See Clerical Garments. 

Catechising. A method of imparting instruction by ques- 
tions and answers. The catechising of " children and others 
in the principles of religion, is founded upon the institution of 
God himself, and is agreeable to the best examples in Scrip- 



* The lifting up of the consecrated bread, is called by them *' the 
elevation of the host." 



CATECHISING. 93 

ture." In the early days of the Christian Church much at- 
tention was given to this mode of instruction. A class of 
men, under the name of Catecliists, were set apart for the 
purpose. But catechetical instructions were not given up 
solely to laymen, for Presbyters and Bishops of the Church 
frequently took upon themselves the same labors, the great 
object being to diffuse religious knowledge in that way which 
promised to be most successful. 

The authority on which this mode of instruction rests, is 
that of Apostolic precedent and Scriptural example. " The 
word, indeed," says Bishop Doane, " is a Scriptural word, the 
practice is a Scriptural practice. When St. Luke declares 
his purpose, in writing to Theophilus, to be, that he might 
know the certainty of those things wherein he was instructed, 
the literal meaning of the word is catechised.'^ When Apol- 
los is spoken of as a man instructed in the way of the Lord, 
the literal sense is catecliised.-\ And when St. Paul declares 
that he had rather speak five words with his understanding, 
that he might teach others, than ten thousand words in an 
unknown tongue, the literal rendering is, that he might 
catechise^ others. And accordingly, St. Cyril says expressly, 
that " St. Paul preached the Gospel, from Rome to Illyria, 
and taught at Rome by catechising. "§ If it be asked, then, 
what are we to understand precisely by this term, we answer, 
in the words of Clement of Alexandria, specially this, — " the 
knowledge of religion first delivered to the ignorant by the 
catechist, and then by them repeated over and over again," || 
the catechist being said to instruct, by making the elements 
of Christian doctrine resound in the ears of his students, and 
the catechumen being said to be taught, by repeating the 
words addressed to him, and by answering questions. "IT 



* St. Luke, i. 4. t Acts, xviii. 25. \ 1 Corinthians, xiv. 19. 

§ CatechesJs% xvii. 16 — quoted by Gilly, p. 66. 

II Cited by Comber, in Gilly, p. v. 

IT Bishop Doane's Second Charge, p. 13. 



94 CATECHISING. 

Under the discipline of the primitive Church, the catechu- 
mens were divided into distinct classes, according to their 
proficiency; and the greater portion of those thus instructed 
were adults, proselytes from heathenism. In the present 
state and relations of the Church, this early usage is for the 
most part superseded by change of circumstances, and the 
degree of light cast upon the world at large by the Church. 
But, however true it may be, that the primary elements of 
religious truth are speculatively known far and wide, the 
Church can never be exonerated from the obligation of im- 
pressing them distinctly, forcibly, and practically, on the ten- 
der minds of her younger members, by systematic efforts, 
directly pursued, in the full conviction that she is the centre 
of light ; and if her glory be dimmed, darkness must and will 
enshroud the world. Hence the Canons and Rubrics of the 
Church, relative to catechising, are as unlimited by time, as 
the commands of the Bible respecting repentance and holy 
living. They are standing ordinances of the Church, ever 
to be regarded as laws of present obligation, so long as chil- 
dren need discipline, both for the heart and the head — so 
long as the mandate of Christ stands unrepealed, " Feed my 
LAMBS." The Church Catechism is the child's body of divin- 
ity, in which godfathers and godmothers are to " take care " 
that they be " sufficiently instructed." The title itself de- 
clares it to be " an instruction to be learned by every person 
before he be brought to be confirmed by the Bishop." And 
therefore the rubrics direct that " The Minister of every 
parish shall diligently, upon Sundays ,and holy days, or on 
some other convenient occasions, openly in the Church, in- 
struct or examine so many children of his parish, sent unto 
him, as he shall think convenient, in some part of this Cate- 
chism." Still further, " All Fathers, Mothers, &c., shall 
cause their children, servants, and apprentices, who have not 
learned their Catechism, to come to the Church at the time 
appointed," &c. Then comes in the demand of the Canon, 



CATECHISING. 95 

that the parochial Clergy " shall not only be diligent in in- 
structing the children in the Catechism, but shall also, by 
stated catechetical lectures and instruction, be diligent in in- 
forming the youth and others in the doctrines, constitution, and 
liturgy of the Church."* Nothing can exceed the clearness 
and force with which the duty of public catechising is stated 
and reiterated, whenever the Church directs the pastor's eye 
to the tender lambs of the flock ; and the only wonder is, 
that amid the profusion of religious thought ever streaming 
forth from the pulpit, till the Church is literally waxing lean 
with spiritual indigestion, the just and imperative claims of 
the tenderest class should ever have been overlooked, and 
they left to mourn, in silent patience, the lack of the " sincere 
milk of the word." Yet such, but a few years ago, was the 
truth of the case. Hence the necessity and popularity of 
Sunday Schools, the teachers of which, in some cases, were 
supposed, by a flexible species of logic, to fulfil by proxy the 
rubrics relating to the pastor — numbers on the one part, be- 
ing held as an equipoise for office on the other. Thanks to 
God, that without lessening the usefulness of Sunday schools, 
we are on the return to Catholic usage — to that sound and 
discriminating outlay of ministerial labor, which, contemplat- 
ing the spiritual endowment of the wliole flock, gathers under 
the folds of the ministerial mantle even the youngest heirs of 
sorrow in this perilous and " pitiless world." 

The Church loves her children. Witness her constant 
sympathy with them ; her appreciation of their perils, of their 
helplessness, their need of early discipline, their liability to 
float on the current of passion, their slight appreciation of 
God, and of eternity, and of the value of that gem within 
them which shall outlive the stars of the firmament. And 
for these, the Church legislated when they were as yet un- 

* C anon XXVIII, of the General Convention. 



96 CATECHISING. 

born. Long ago were her affectionate arms stretched out 
to the future, to receive into " the congregation of Christ's 
flock" the young soldiers of the cross in many generations to 
come. The change of times and habits, and of the rate of 
mental cultivation, instead of making void these efforts of the 
Church, should call them more vigorously into action, now 
that the temptations to laxity, and the want of the reveren- 
tial spirit of former days, are so influential in an adverse di- 
rection. Religious knowledge is a gift which the Church is 
bound ever to hold forth, and this with especial reference to 
the early training of the young. The era of childhood is a 
short one ; but it comprises a world of influences, which, 
without a figure, may be deemed immortal. The force of 
early impressions, every one knows. And that an incontes- 
table superiority should be given to religious impressions, 
every Christian should distinctly feel. To these, every thing 
should give way, and stand subordinate. Intellectual cultiva- 
tion without spiritual discipline, never yet opened the gates of 
heaven, or made joy among the angels over a repentant sin- 
ner. Hence the whole drift of the Bible is to build up the 
supremacy of religion, counting all " wisdom " in the absence 
of this, as so much " grief" ; and the increase of " knowledge " 
only the increase of " sorrow." 

What then is the conclusion, but that every Christian, every 
philanthropist, every parent, if he regard either the temporal 
or the eternal well-being of the youth now rising up, is bound 
both by the law of God, the force of reason, and the purest 
impulses of benevolence, to provide for the Christianizing 
of those into whose hands the interests of the Church and 
the nation are hereafter to be committed. This work the 
Church has power to accomplish ; power lodged in right- 
ful hands, and flowing from Him who has promised to be 
with her to the end of the world. And we hail as one 
of the happiest omens of good to the Church, that the 
practice of public catechising is rapidly gaining favor, and 



CAT 97 

seems destined eventually to resume its ancient import- 
ance. When that shall be brought about, " glorious things " 
will be spoken of " the city of our God." The sanctuary 
will become the school for heaven ; — the nursery of strong 
and valiant spirits ; — the centre from which the splendors of 
primitive piety shall light up the earth. The timidity, the 
fear, the vague sense of right, and the harassing, — if not the 
unworthy, — doubts of the half-instructed Christian, will die at 
once, because their chief originating cause will be removed ; 
and instead of these, a race born and trained to a religious 
life — fed from infancy with angels' food — armed with the 
bright weapons of truth — endowed with a double measure of 
the Spirit of God, — will adorn and protect the militant Church, 
and realize once more the dignity of that imperishable king, 
dom, whose head is " the Mighty God, the Prince of Peace." 

Catechism. A manual of instruction, generally in the form 
of questions and answers. The term " catechise " is derived 
from the Greek, and signifies instruction by sound, or by 
verbal converse between the teacher and scholar. Hence, a 
Catechism is a system of elementary instruction usually con- 
veyed in this peculiar manner. 

At an early period of the Reformation, means were taken 
for the instruction of the people in the grounds of Christian 
doctrine, by the publication of " The Institution of a Chris- 
tian Man," which, after a short interval was succeeded by 
another work, or more properly a revisal of the first, entitled 
" A Necessary Doctrine and Erudition for any Christian 
Man." These books consisted chiefly of an exposition of 
the Apostles' Creed, the seven Sacraments, (as then held,) 
the Ten Commandments, the Pater Nostcr, &c. 

The views maintained in the " Institution " and " Erudi- 
tion " were not such, however, as in all points met the sanc- 
tion of the Church at a later date, though in the main they 
served as the groundwork of the Catechism which now ap- 
pears in our Prayer-book. Cranmer, in the year 1548, set 
9 



9^ CATECHISM. 

forth a voluminous Catechism, " originally written in German, 
and was probably one of the many Catechisms to which Lu- 
ther's own gave rise, and by which the Reformation in Ger- 
many was forwarded."* This was on the same expository 
plan as the two works already named ; but still was not free 
from those immature statements respecting the sacraments, 
&c., which were naturally to be expected in a period of reli- 
gious agitation, when by slow steps men were searching for 
the truth, rather than driving the chariot of a mad revolution. 
The shorter form of Catechism, therefore, became the model 
on which the Church formed the religious principles of her 
sons. This was brought out in the reign of Edward VI,, and 
admirably filled a vacant niche in the best monument the re- 
formers have left us — the Book of Common Prayer." " It 
was of genuine English growth," says Blunt, " though of 
doubtful origin : Strype assigns it expressly to Nowell ; but 
the modern biographer of the Dean of St. Paul's, questions 
his title to it, and rather gives it to Poinet, afterwards Bishop 
of Winchester. In any case, Cranmer appears to have re- 
viewed and digested it, not without the able co-operation of 
Ridley. It made a part of the Liturgy of King Edward, be- 
ing inserted in the Office for Confirmation. Nor has any 
material change been since introduced into it, except that 
the explanation of the Sacraments was added in the reign of 
James I., the original Catechism having ended with the ex- 
position of the Lord's Prayer."-|- 

The Church Catechism, like the Liturgy, is remarkable 
for the expansive catholic tone of its doctrine, — never stoop- 
ing to define the dogmas of a party, but holding forth those 
high evangelical principles which are the heritage of the 
Church universal. These are woven together in this beau- 
tiful compend, with a simplicity and chasteness of language, 

* Blunt's Reformation in England, p. 196. 
t Ibid. p. 199. 



CAT 99 

characteristic of the period which gave it birth, and admira- 
bly adapting it to the comprehension of the young disciples 
of the Redeemer, Combined with this, there will be seen 
throughout, a strong tinge of that sweet amenity of temper — 
not less gracious than graceful — so triumphantly contrasting 
with the vehement and denunciatory language pervading too 
many other elementary manuals. This, however, is not a 
sacrifice of truth to peace, for every fundamental doctrine is 
stated with an honest firmness and decision. The sinfulness 
of man ; the need of regenerating and sanctifying grace ; the 
nature of the atonement ; the divinity of Jesus Christ ; the 
influence of the Holy Spirit ; are all clearly recognized in 
this little form, and steadily upheld as corner-stones of the 
Christian system. No heresy can find sanctuary here ; nor 
is there a " God speed " for the least declension from " the 
faith once delivered unto the saints." On the whole, the 
Church Catechism will probably never be surpassed, as a 
compact, judicious, orthodox, and intelligible " hand-book," 
for instruction in the doctrines and practice of the gospel. 
It is a miniature of Christianity ; an epitome of revelation ; 
or, (if we may so say,) an image without a flaw, of the perfect 
Christian man, hewn out by accomplished hands, and need- 
ing no shrine but its own worth, to captivate the good-will, 
and challenge the protection, of posterity. 

Catechist. One who instructs by question and answer. 
More strictly, a person who trains up others in the elementary 
principles of Christianity, through the medium of the Scrip- 
tures, and the Catechism of the Church. The term might, 
therefore, with propriety be applied to the lay teachers of 
Sunday Schools and Bible Classes, and might, perhaps, be 
their most appropriate designation. But it is chiefly given 
to such persons as are appointed by the Bishop, to attend to 
this duty in places where the services of ministers are not to 
be obtained, and where the interests of the Church may, not- 
withstanding, be advanced by the maintaining of public wor- 



100 CAT 

ship. The judicious labors of the Catechist, may often ren- 
der important aid to the Church in new settlements, or va- 
cant Missionary stations, by preparing the way for the regu- 
lar ministrations of the gospel, — ^by gathering together the 
scattered sheep of the Redeemei's fold, — and by teaching 
the ignorant the truths of the doctrine of Christ, as laid down 
and illustrated in the Catechism of the Church. 

The Catechists of the ancient Church " were Ministers, 
usually distinct from the Bishops and Presbyters, and had 
their Catechumena, or Auditories, apart. But they did not 
constitute any distinct order of the Clergy, being chosen out 
of any order. The Bishop himself sometimes performed this 
office ; at other times, presbyters, readers, or deacons. Ori- 
gen was made Catechist at Alexandria when only 18 years 
of age, and consequently incapable of the deaconship." 

Catechumen. In the ancient Church, this designation 
was given to those converts to the faith, who were under pre- 
paration for baptism. These were required to submit to a 
course of catechetical instruction, and were not permitted to 
be present at the administration of the Communion. In the 
present day, the term is applied to such as are receiving in- 
struction in the Catechism, whether baptized or not. 

Cathedral. A Cathedral is the principal Church in a 
Diocese, where the Bishop presides, and has the seat, [cathe^ 
dra,^ or centre of his authority. 

In the American Episcopal Church there are no Cathe- 
drals, the Bishop being free to accept the Rectorship of any 
Church of his Diocese, to which he may be called, or to 
exercise his Episcopal functions without any special pa- 
rochial charge. 

Catholic. Universal, or general. The term is employed 
in the designation of the General Epistles of the New Tes- 
tament. Thus the Epistles of James, Peter, 1st John, and 
that of Jude, are known in the original by the title of Catholic 
Epistles, though the distinctive term has somewhat unfortu- 



CATHOLIC, 101 

nately been rendered by the word "general ;^' we say, un- 
fortunately, because thus a most ancient and orthodox term 
has suffered a neglect, little apprehended by the translators, 
and from which a tardy recovery is all that can be hoped for 
or expected. It is almost superfluous to say, that these epis- 
tles were so called, from the circumstance of their having 
been written, in the first instance, not to particular Churches 
or individuals, but with a more direct reference to the Church 
at large, i. e., to the catholic or universal Church. 

The epithet CatlioUc is also applied to the Church of Christ 
** throughout all the world." There is scarcely any idea 
which the reading of the New Testament forces upon us with 
more clearness, than that of the oneness of the Church of 
Christ. It was destined, indeed, to plant itself in all nations ; 
yet not in the form of so many independent households, but 
as one great society, the various divisions and members of 
which should hold the closest communion one with another. 
It was, therefore, one universal or general Church ; and the 
title " Catholic " became the ordinary and technical designa- 
tion by which it was known. 

The term, thus used, not only distinguished the Church 
from the world, but the true Church from the heretical and 
schismatical parties which at an early day made their ap- 
pearance. Hence, in ecclesiastical history, catholic is equiv- 
alent to orthodox, and soon came to be applied to the indi- 
viduals composing the Church, as it had always been to 
the Church itself. Christian and Catholic were thus con- 
vertible terms, and a departure from the principles of 
catholicity, was one and the same thing with a declension 
from the " faith once delivered unto the saints." 

At a period a little subsequent to the Reformation, 
through a strange forgetfulness of the maxim, " abusus 
non tollit usus," the term Catholic was surrendered by many 
of the advocates of continental principles, with a rashness 
no way complimentary either to the coolness of their heads, 

9* 



102 CATHOLIC. 

or the soundness of their discrimination. The same pre- 
judice made its appearance also in the ranks of dissent in 
England and elsewhere, and has passed down as an heirloom 
to their followers of the present day. 

In the Church of England, on the contrary, the term was 
never given up. And this for two reasons, 1st, Because it 
was ever the grand distinguishing title of the Christian 
Church. As well might we abandon the titles of the Redeemer 
himself, as surrender the sacred designation of the Church — 
his body. What if the name had for long ages been claimed 
and appropriated by a corrupt branch of the Church ? In an 
equal degree had the legitimate titles of a thousand other 
things been used by that Church. And what then ? Would 
any thing be gained by substituting " congregation " for 
" church ;" or " commonwealth " for " kingdom," (in the 
Lord's prayer, &c.,) or "Overseer" for "Bishop?" The 
true policy would have been the retaining most tenaciously 
the proper and primitive appellations of such things, and the 
restoring of them, by degrees, to their long lost dignity. There 
is something in a name, if it be a right one ; and here the 
Church showed her wisdom, by "choosing the good, and re- 
fusing the evil." But 2d, The name was retained, because 
its rejection would manifestly have argued a deficiency in the 
thing signified. This the Romanists well knew, and a fear- 
ful use they are prepared to make of it. " By your own 
confession," say they, " you are not Catholic. By the same, 
we prove that you unchurch yourselves, for the Church is 
ESSENTIALLY CATHOLIC." Here, then, is a dilemma from 
which the sectarian may escape as he may think best. But 
in the case of the Churchman, there is no contest ; for he con- 
tends, that in the true and best sense of the word, he is a 
Catholic : not a Roman Catholic, but such a Catholic as was 
Paul, and Peter, and John ; that is to say, a member of Christ's 
Church, which is described as " one, holy, catholic, and 
apostolic." 



CEN 103 

The prejudice against the title is therefore absurd to the 
last degree, and worthy only of a " dark age " when men 
groped for the light, and put " bitter for sweet, and sweet for 
bitter." We rejoice that the day is dawning when the Ro- 
manist shall no longer taunt the Churchman with an advantage 
sometimes given him, (by the timidity of calling things by their 
right names,) even within the bounds of our own household. 
An Episcopalian is of all men best entitled to the use of the 
term in question ; but if he reject it, how can he avow his 
consent to that article of the Creed, " I believe in one Catholic 
and Apostolic Church ?" — how can he pray that he may 
finally be gathered unto his fathers, " in the communion of 
the Catholic Church ?" 

Catholicity. A term sometimes used to express the 
quality of being Catholic. 

Cemetery. A place, or piece of ground, for the burial of 
the dead. See Churchyard. 

Censure, Ecclesiastical. The judicial sentence of the 
rulers of the Church, upon those who have been convicted of 
offences within the cognizance of her authority. The dis- 
cipline of the Church extends to both Clergy and Laity, the 
former of whom may be admonished, suspended, or degraded 
from office, and excommunicated, according to the nature of 
the offence committed. The latter, for similar causes, may 
be privately admonished, suspended from the communion, or 
finally excommunicated. 

Century. In ecclesiastical as well as in secular history, 
it is customary to reckon time by periods of one hundred 
years, i. e., by centuries. The Christian era commences 
with the age when Christ and his Apostles were on earth, and 
the Church received its present organization. This period 
extends down to the year 100, and constitutes the first century. 
From this will be understood what is meant by the frequent 
remark, that such a person flourished, or event transpired, in 



104 CEE 

the fourth, fifth, sixth, or any other century, down to the pre- 
sent, viz., the nineteenth century. 

Ceremony. In religion, an external act or assemblage of 
acts, designed to increase the solemnity and majesty of divine 
worship, and to strengthen, by the use of sensible forms, the 
reverential feelings of the soul, in the performance of any 
sacred office. 

The necessity of ceremonies in the greater portion of re- 
ligious acts, arises from two simple truths ; lst,That man is a 
compound being, consisting of soul and body ; 2d, That God 
demands the homage of our whole nature, i. e., the submis- 
sion of the soul, and the discipline and consecration of the 
^ody. If .man were a purely spiritual being, sensible cere- 
monies would be superseded, — at least, such as we are here 
contemplating, and consequently all his religious acts would 
be of a correspondent character — solely and simply spiritual, 
without reference to the instrumentality or co-operation of an 
outward nature. But man is not such a being ; and there- 
fore such worship is not all that God requires of him. The 
bodies not less than the souls of Christians, are " temples of 
the Holy Ghost." We are bound to present our bodies as 
" a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God," and this 
is declared to be " a reasonable service."* Hence, God is 
to be honored by the dedication and employment of both con- 
stituents of our nature, in his service. And in consistency 
with the demand, is the form and texture of the religion of 
the Gospel. That religion, by the very fact of its recog- 
nizing body and soul as God's, and prescribing means for the 
sanctification and religious employment of both, proves itself 
to have proceeded from One most intimately acquainted with 
the constitution of our nature, even from its actual Author. 
There is a perfect parallel between the two, just as we might 
have predicted, a priori. 

* Romans, xii. 1. 



C£R 105 

Now this being the state of the case, it is folly to under- 
value the external acts or ceremonies of religion. Mystics, 
both ancient and modern, have attempted a species of con- 
templative worship, independent of outward acts ; but this 
has always led to enthusiasm, and terminated in the final 
evaporating of all true devotion. And why? Because it 
was contrary to the ordinance of God, and played violence 
both with the Gospel and with the unchangeable constitu- 
tion of man. 

We do not defend the ceremonial of religion as acceptable 
to God of itself ; for the homage of the soul is that to which 
revelation principally looks. Balance the value of an im- 
mortal soul, with the worth of a corruptible body, and the 
relative importance of the worship rendered by each will be 
distinctly seen. There is an immense disproportion between 
body and soul, and this disproportion will be the exact mea- 
sure of the worship rendered by them, respectively. Yet, as 
God is the sovereign proprietor and Lord of both, we plead 
for the consecration of our whole nature to his service. On 
no other ground would we advocate an act of external wor- 
ship, but as it stands in alliance with the devotion of the im- 
mortal spirit. And with these views, the wisdom of the 
Church, in her appointed ceremonies, is too obvious to need 
comment. The ceremonial and the spiritual in her services, 
stand in an exact ratio with the comparative value of body 
and soul. She is guilty neither of redundancy nor deficiency ; 
and if objection be made to the external parts of the Church 
service, we pledge ourselves to say, that these will be wholly 
removed, when men can draw near without bringing with 
them the external part of their nature. 

Certifying of Baptism. The Sacrament of Baptism is 
usually administered in the Church ; but " upon great cause 
and necessity," such as sickness, (fee, it is allowed that chil- 
dren may be baptized " at home in their houses ;" in which 
case only a part of the form is generally used. But it is 



106 CHA 

SO ordered, that if the child should live, " it is expedient that 
it be brought into the Church," to the intent that the congre- 
gation may be certified or assured by the Minister, that the 
child was properly and rightly baptized in private. The 
remainder of the baptismal service is then used, the Minister 
having first said : — 

" I CERTIFY you, that according to the due and prescribed 
Order of the Church, at such a time, and at such a place, bel 
fore divers witnesses, I baptized this child. ^^ 

But if the child was not baptized by the Minister of the 
parish, but by some other lawful Minister, then, instead of the 
above form, he says : — 

" I CERTIFY you, that in this case, all is well done, and ac- 
cording unto due order, concerning the baptizing of this 
child,^^ dec. 

See the Order for Private Baptism of Children, in the 
Prayer-book. 

Chalice. In the Prayer-book of the Church of England 
this title is given to the cup which is used at the holy com- 
munion. The larger vessel in which the wine is placed on 
the altar is called the " Flagon," and from this, at the time 
of communion, it is poured by the Bishop or Priest into the 
smaller vessels, called chalices, i. e., the cups, to be delivered 
to the communicants. 

In the American Prayer-book, the word " cup" is used, as 
being more generally understood. 

Chance. An effect resulting from an unforeseen cause, 
or from one which seems accidental or fortuitous. The 
term is frequently used, in a larger sense, in reference to any 
event which with probability may, or already has, come to 
pass. Thus, in the Introduction to the English Prayer Book, 
we read that the Church has power to put away such Cere- 
monies as are liable to great abuse, " as in men's Ordinances 
it often chanceth diversly in divers countries." 

In one of the Collects appended to the Communion office 



CHA lot 

of the Church, is found the expression : — " Among all the 
changes and chances of this mortal life." It has been ob- 
jected, that to the Christian who believes in an overruling 
Providence, the reference of any event to chance is offensive, 
not to say irreligious. In one sense, this is true ; in another, 
false. As it respects the Divine Being, nothing falls out by 
chance ; as it respects the limited comprehension of men, 
events are continually occurring whose secret causes we 
cannot discern ; and these are chances to us, though not 
to God. The framers of the Prayer-book made use of popu- 
lar language, — language well understood by the community 
in general. The same freedom from the artificial primness 
of the technologist, prevails also in the authorized transla- 
tion of the Bible ; and the force of the term in question will 
be apprehended by a reference to those words of St. Paul, — 
" it may chance of wheat," &c. ; and those of Christ, — " by 
chance there came down a certain priest," &c. See also 2 
Sam. i. 6, — as I happened by chance on Mount Gilboa." We 
will only add the caution of a wise writer : — " A man may 
dwell upon words till he becomes at length a mere precisian 
in speech ; and he may think of their meaning till he loses 
sight of al 1 meaning."* 

Chancel. An enclosure, usually at the upper end of a 
Church, containing the altar, and sometimes the desk, the floor 
being raised above the general level, and the whole separated 
from the body of the Church by an intervening railing ; hence 
the English name " Chancel," from the Latin cancellL 

The Chancel is of very great antiquity. In the primitive 
Church, it was held so sacred, that in time of divine service, 
the laity were not permitted to enter it. The names, also, 
by which it was designated, were in accordance with this 
sentiment. Among these were, the " Sanctuary," — the 
" Holy," — the " Inaccessible," &;c. &c. In the midst of 

* The Doctor. 



108 CHANCEL. 

thi? stood the altar, at a sufficient distance from the wall in 
the rear, to admit a tier of seats for the Bishop and his pres- 
byters, with a space between them and the back of the altar. 
On one side was the prothesis or side-table, and on the other 
a place for the Deacons. 

In the Churches of the present day, chancels are variously 
constructed, and some innovation has been made on the 
primitive model, corresponding with the change of circum- 
stances and the variations of opinion in the less important 
matters of taste and ecclesiastical architecture. The grand 
design of the Chancel has, however, been invariably pre- 
served, vi2: : the location in it of the altar, or communion- 
table. In addition to this, the font for baptism is now usually 
placed within or near the Chancel. 

As a general rule, the customs of the Protestant Episcopal 
Church assign the Chancel as the proper place for the per- 
formance of the sacramental services, while the desk is re- 
served for the ordinary prayers, &;c., and the pulpit for the 
delivery of sermons. In compliance with this principle, 
baptism is administered from the Chancel ; and the commu- 
nion office, whenever used, either in whole or in part, should 
obviously be read from the same place. In this latter parti- 
cular, some diversity of practice has obtained in the Church, 
grounded, we presume, on the supposed inconvenience at- 
tending a cRange of place in the midst of the services, by the 
officiating minister. An objection of this nature, must yield 
to the fact, that the desk is not the appropriate place for the 
reading of a portion of a sacramental office, however it may 
be vindicated on the ground of an ambiguity in the rubric of 
the American Prayer-book. The same rubric, in its origi- 
nal shape, is explicit in requiring the Priest to stand, (in the 
ante-communion,) "at the north side of the table;" i. e., in 
the Chancel, at that end of the altar which fronted the north, 
when the head of the Church itself, (according to ancient 
custom,) was towards the east. The rubric to which we al- 



CHA 109 

lude is immediately before the beginning of the Communion 
ofRce ; and in the American Prayer-book leaves it somewhat 
optional with the minister, to descend to the Chancel for the 
ante-communion, or to remain in the desk. But another ru- 
bric, standing before the offertory, assumes that the minister 
must have read the former part of the office at the altar ; for 
it states, that after the sermon, " the minister, when there is 
a Communion, shall return to the Lord's table ;" consequently 
he must have been there before. But the propriety of the 
custom itself, independently of all legislation, should ensure 
for the ante-communion the presence of the minister in that 
place, where he would certainly appear, if he were about to 
administer the Eucharist from the beginning, without inter- 
ruption. The custom is an ancient and an impressive one ; 
and none can doubt, on reflection, that it accords far more 
with the spirit of the Church, than an anomaly almost as con- 
trary to precedent as would be the administration of bap- 
tism in the pulpit. 

Chant. A peculiar kind of Church music, chiefly em- 
ployed in the performance of prose compositions, and charac- 
terised by the reciting of a large portion of the words, to a 
musical tone. 

The definition here given is, however, more applicable to 
the modern than to the ancient chant ; for though musical 
recitation is now the distinguishing feature of the chant, it is 
somewhat questionable whether it was so in the early ages 
of the Church. Many of the Ambrosian and Gregorian 
chants, instead of allotting a plurality of syllables and words 
to a single musical note, on the contrary, allow a train of 
notes, sometimes of great extent, to a single syllable. It 
would seem, therefore, that originally a chant was simply a 
tune adapted to the irregularities of a prose composition. 

The modern chant, though admitting of considerable di- 
versity in its structure, is a compound of recitative and regu- 
lar musical progression. The two forms now in ordinary 
10 



110 



CHANT. 



use, are known as the single and the douhle chant, or more 
properly, the half and the whole chant. The single chant 
has two members or divisions ; the first containing a recitative 
and two bars or measures of notes ; the second, a recitative, 
with three similar measures, thus — 



O- 



o: 



^. 



o 



TT 



jO 



-\~ 



XJ 



I©— 



W-&: 



'-^ 



:o: 



The double chant is simply a composition equal in length 
and form to two single chants, thus giving a greater scope 
and interest to the melody. 

The first bar in each division is called the Recitative, and 
the following notes, the Cadence ; though, strictly speaking, 
the term cadence is applicable only to the two final notes in 
each division. 

Chanting is probably the most ancient form of Church 
music ; and when compared with rhythmical psalmody, has 
every advantage on the score of beauty and expressiveness. 
It gives the choir an opportunity of presenting the Psalms of 
David, and other portions of Scripture, in a musical dress, 
without the necessity of reducing them to a metrical form. 
A Psalm of twenty or thirty verses may thus be chanted, and 
the sentiment preserved entire ; whereas in common psalm- 
ody, a few verses, sometimes selected from a whole page, 
and strung together ad libitum, are all that can be performed 
in any reasonable time. A more general use of chanting 
might, also, in some cases, save the Church from the inflic- 
tion of occasional verses in rhyme, far less favorable to devo- 
tional feeling than the same sentiments in their original shape 
in the Psalter. 

Our limits will not permit us to venture further on the 
subject of chanting. A more full exposition of the whole mat- 



CHA 111 

ter in detail, the writer purposes to give in a work now in 
preparation. 

Chantry. Chantries were small buildings originally raised 
by an individual, and endowed with land and other reve- 
nues, for the maintenance of one or more priests to say daily 
mass for the souls of the founder and his relations, or other 
benefactors. A chantry is often annexed to cathedral and 
parochial Churches, either within the walls, or attached to 
the exterior of the building.* 

Chapel. A place of worship differing in no important 
respect from a church, except in the relation in which it 
stands to the ecclesiastical laws or regulations of the Diocese 
and parish in which it is situated. 

In the Church of England there are various kinds of 
chapels, among which may be mentioned such as were an- 
ciently built contiguous or in immediate connection with 
cathedrals and the larger parish churches, in honor of the 
saints, or for depositories of the dead. Also such as are 
connected with universities, for the performance of the cus- 
tomary services of the Church. Chapels of ease, are those 
which are erected for the convenience of parishioners living 
remote from the parish church, for whose accommodation a 
curate is provided, while one rector presides over both the 
church and chapel. Domestic chapels are private edifices 
erected by noblemen and others on their estates, for the con- 
venience of their families and dependants. 

In the United States the term is similarly used for private 
or public buildings designed for religious worship, in connec- 
tion with universities, colleges, seminaries, &;c. &;c. Chapels 
in parishes are subject to the Rector, Wardens, and Vestry 
of the Church to which they belong, and may, when desira- 
ble, become independent churches, with their own separate 
organization. 

Chaplain. A Clergyman who performs divine service in 

* Britton's Arch. Antiq. 



112 CHA 

a chapel. The title is now given in the Church of England 
to those also who are retained in the households of nobles, 
bishops, judges, &c. ; these may by license be eligible to 
a benefice. The term is also applied to Clergymen in the 
public service in the army and navy. In this sense it is 
used in the United States, and extends to those who are 
temporarily employed during the session of Congress, &c., 
and to ofRciate on occasions of national or state festivals. 

Chapter. In England, a body of Clergy belonging to a 
cathedral church, "consisting of prebendaries and canons, 
whereof the Dean is chief. This collegiate company is meta- 
phorically termed capitulum, which signifies a little head ; it 
being a kind of head, not only to govern the Diocese in the 
vacation of the bishopric, but also to advise and assist the 
Bishop in matters relating to the Church, for the better or- 
dering and disposing of the things thereof, and for the con- 
firmation of such leases of the temporalities and ofiices re- 
lating to the bishopric, as the Bishop from time to time shall 
happen to make."* 

The place in which their assemblies are held, is denomi- 
nated the " Chapter-house," and the body itself has the title 
"Dean and Chapter." 

Chaege. This term is sometimes used for a church or 
parish, viewed in its relation to the Rector, &c. More gene- 
rally it signifies the spiritual care of a Pastor over his flock, or 
a Bishop over his Diocese ; as in the Prayer " for the Clergy 
and people :" — " Send down upon our Bishops and other 
Clergy, and upon the congregations committed to their charge, 
the healthful spirit of thy grace." 

A " Charge " is also the title given to an occasional ad. 
dress from a Bishop to his Clergy ; in which he instructs, 
exhorts, or charges them on some matter of peculiar import- 
ance, or takes occasion to dilate on the 'general pbligations 



° The Laws relating to the Clergy. 



CHI 113 

and responsibilities of the Ministerial office. A Charge is ad- 
dressed to the Clergy ; — a Pastoral letter principally to thepeo- 
pie. Canon XXVII. of the General Convention ordains, that 
" It is deemed proper that every Bishop of this Church 
shall deliver, at least once in three years, a Charge to the 
Clergy of his Diocese, unless prevented by reasonable cause." 

"Chief Ministers." Among the questions proposed to 
those who are about to receive ordination as Deacons or 
Priests, is one in the following words : — " Will you reve- 
rently obey your Bishop, and other chief Ministers, who, ac 
cording to the Canons of the Church, may have the charge 
and government over you?" In the Church of England, 
the purport of the words Chief Ministers is plain, having re- 
ference to Archdeacons and others, to whom a certain super- 
visory authority is committed, which the other Clergy are 
bound to recognize and respect. 

In the American Church, where Archdeacons do not exist, 
the question is important, " Who are the persons referred to 
as ' other chief Ministers,' besides the Bishop ?" These, 
whoever they may be, the candidate promises to obey, " ac- 
cording to the Canons of the Church." In the case of Dea- 
cons, the answer is easy. By the very nature of their office, 
they are subordinate to the Priest ; and this is apparent in 
the enumeration of their duties in the Ordination office. The 
17th General Canon also requires " every Deacon " to be 
subject to the regulation of the Bishop, or " if there be no 
Bishop, of the Clerical members of the Standing Committee," 
&c., " and he shall officiate in such places as the Bishop or 
the said Clerical members may direct." 

As it respects Priests, the order of the Church requires 
deference to be paid by them, in any official transactions 
with the Standing Committee. Also from assistants to their 
principals ; from Clergymen under presentment, to the coun- 
cils appointed to try them ; and in all other cases where, for 
the time being, certain additional powers are given to some, 
10* 



114 CHO 

for the preservation of order among the many. To these, in 
that spirit of courtesy which belongs to the Church, as well 
as in regard to the authority vested in them, the title of 
" Chief Ministers " is given, and is both appropriate and re- 
spectful. 

Chimere. The upper robe worn by a Bishop, " to which 
the lawn sleeves are generally sewed."* 

Choir, or Quire. The singers who conduct the music of 
the Church. The use of a choir is to guide and lead the 
praises of the sanctuary ; and for this purpose, it should con- 
sist of persons who are familiar with sacred music, who pos- 
sess good voices, correct taste, some degree of confidence, 
combined with modesty of manner, and especially that 
seriousness of mind which becomes all who would " come 
before God's presence with thanksgiving, and show them- 
selves glad in him with psalms." 

The true design of a choir is, not to sing instead of the 
congregation, for God requires praise from allhis people ; and 
it would not be more absurd for the congregation to leave their 
prayers to the Minister, and supplicate by proxy, than it is for 
them to give up their praises altogether to the clioir. On the 
contrary, the choir should lead the congregation ; and every 
one who is able to join in this part of divine worship, should 
feel it a duty to follow. Were this done, every Church would 
soon become, in truth, a great choir, from which the anthem 
of joy would resound, — formality would cease, and we, and all, 
should learn " heartily to rejoice in the strength of our 
salvation.". 

Choir. In a Cathedral or other Church, that part of 
the building in which divine service is performed, or the 
portion included between the chancel and the nave. Also, 
that part of any Church which is occupied by the organ and 
singers. 

* Waeatly. 



CBB 115 

CHOREPiscorus. In early periods of the Church this name 
was given to certain country bishops (as the term signifies) 
who were distributed in the regions surrounding the chief 
cities, where the governing bishops resided. Some consider- 
able difference of opinion has existed relative to the true 
ministerial order of the chorepiscopi, some contending that 
they were mere presbyters, others that they were a mixed 
body of presbyters and bishops, and a third class that they 
were all invested with the authority of the episcopal office. 
That the latter opinion, however, is the correct one, is main- 
tained by Bishop Barlow, Dr. Hammond, Beveridge, Cave, 
and other eminent divines of the English Church ; together 
with Bingham, in his Antiquities of the Christian Church. 
Their origin seems to have arisen from a desire on the part of 
the city or Diocesan Bishops, to supply the Churches of the 
neighboring country with more episcopal services than they 
could conveniently render. Some of the best qualified pres- 
byters were therefore consecrated bishops, and thus em- 
powered to act in the stead of the principal bishop, though in 
strict subordination to his authority. Hence we find them 
ordaining presbyters and deacons under the license of the 
city bishop ; and confirmation was one of their ordinary 
duties. Letters dimissory were also given to the country 
clergy by the chorepiscopi, and " they had the privilege of 
sitting and voting in synods and councils." The difference 
between the Chorepiscopus and what was at a later period 
denominated a Suffragan, is scarcely appreciable, both being 
under the jurisdiction of a superior, and limited to the exercise 
of their powers within certain boundaries. The Suffragan 
has indeed his own proper diocese, while the Chorepiscopus 
acted within the diocese of his superior ; but this and a slight 
difference in the power of jurisdiction, seem to be all the 
essential points of distinction between the two offices. 

Chrism. The unction, ointment, or consecrated oil for- 



116 CHR 

merly used in confirmation, and (in the Romish Church still 
used) in other religious acts. 

, Christen. To baptize. ^ The word, though now seldom 
used in the American Church, except in local districts, is re- 
tained in the rubrics of the office for the private baptism of 
children. Its derivation is probably from the fact, that in 
baptism the child is made a member of Christ's holy Church, 
and assumes a name indicative of this, called his Christian 
name. Viewed in this light, the term is highly expressive of 
the effect of baptism, in the regeneration or CHRiSTem77^ of 
those who receive it. 

Christendom. The kingdom of Christ. The term is 
generally used for " the territories, countries or regions in- 
habited by Christians, or those who profess to believe in the 
Christian Religion."* There is al o an obsolete sense, in 
which it implies the Christian religion itself, or the obliga- 
tions connected with it, as in the following quotation from 
Wiclif. " When man is baptized, and taketh Christendom, 
then is the name of Christ put in his soul."f 

Christmas day. The festival of the Nativity of Christ. 
This feast seems to have originated in the very earliest times 
of Christianity, and to have always been reverentially ob- 
served by the uni^ ersal Church. 

" In the determination of the precise and real day, anti- 
quity itself hath been divided as well as modern times ; but 
about the year 500, the twenty-fifth of December became the 
day on which the Church generally observed this festival." 

" To celebrate no day, because the exact day cannot be as- 
certained, is the likeliest way to bring the great mystery of 
our Saviour's incarnation first into contempt, and then into 
oblivion." 

" And even if we are mistaken in this particular, yet the 
matter of the error being of no greater moment than the 

* Webster. t Wiclif 's '« Poor Caitiff." 



CHR 117 

false calculation of a day, it will certainly be very pardon- 
able in those who perform the services of the festival with as 
much piety and devotion as they could do, if they certainly 
knew the time." 

" The words, " at this time," in the Collect for Christmas 
day, need not be so rigidly interpreted, as if the precise time 
were fixed by the Church, and made a term of her commu- 
nion. They are capable of being understood in a due lati- 
tude, and do necessarily imply no more, than that we com- 
memorate, at that time, the blessing of our Saviour's birth 
and incarnation. In which sense it may well be said, that 
he was at this time born. And surely those who differ about 
the precise time of his birth, may, notwithstanding, join at 
once in the observance of a holy festival, set apart in remem- 
brance of it." 

St. Chrysostom. John, Patriarch of Constantinople, one 
of the most distinguished of the Fathers. His eloquence 
gained for him the name of Chrysostom, or the golden mouthed, 
and his fame as a preacher and divine when a presbyter, led 
to his promotion to the bishopric of Constantinople in the 
year 393. In this conspicuous station, his boldness and con- 
stancy in rebuking the vices of the age, raised up around 
him many bitter enemies, and led to his banishment. But 
so great was his popularity, that a tumult ensued, which could 
not be appeased otherwise than by the restoring of the faith- 
ful Bishop. Soon after the same causes resulted in his second 
banishment, from which he never returned, having died amid 
the severities of his exile, in the year 407, aged about 53. 

The works of this eloquent Father, which are still extant, 
consist principally of Homilies, and Commentaries on some 
of the Books of Scripture. In these the inexhaustible trea- 
sures of his imagination, the fervor of a devotional spirit, and 
the wisdom of a profound mind, are freely and copiously 
poured out. 

A Collect bearing his name appears in the Church Liturgy. 



118 CHIT 

Respecting this, Palmer observes, " Whether it be as old as 
the time of Basil or Chrysostom, is very doubtful to me, be- 
cause all the commencement of those liturgies which bear 
their names, (except the lessons,) appears to be more recent 
than the time of Chrysostom ; however, this prayer has cer- 
tainly been very anciently used in the exarchate of Csesarea, 
and the patriarchate of Constantinople."* 

Church. The various and obvious meanings of this word, 
it is almost unnecessary here to enumerate. It may be ap- 
plied to a single congregation of Christians, as the Church in 
any city or village, &c. It may signify the Churches col- 
lectively in any city or large town, as the Church in Constan- 
tinople, London, or New- York. Again, it may stand for the 
whole body of Christians professing the same creed, as the 
Greek Church, the Romish Church, the Protestant Episcopal 
Church, &c. Occasionally, it signifies the Clergy, the eccle- 
siastical government, or the house set apart for divine wor- 
ship. But we intend here to consider the term " Church," as 
it points to that universal company of men, who associate 
together as fellow-believers in Jesus Christ, and are baptized 
"in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost." 

The first aspect in which the Church presents itself is that 
of a regular organized society. It differs essentially from 
an accidental concourse of persons professing a coincidence 
in some mere matters of opinion, by containing within itself 
all the elements of which a definite society is composed. We 
recognise in it officers and inferior members. We observe a 
well-arranged system of government, without which these 
officers would be needless. We find that it is universal or 
catholic, having the world for its theatre. We see that it 
possesses a Supreme Head, to whom all are subject — Jesus 
Christ, the great Shepherd and Bishop of souls. We per- 
ceive its unity as a body represented in Scripture under va- 

* Origines Liturgicae, I. p. 250, 



CHURCH. 119 

rious symbols. It is a building fitly framed ; a spiritual house ; 
a city of the living God ; a fold under one Shepherd ; a fam- 
ily under the care of a Master ; a body composed of many 
members ; a kingdom of which Christ is the Sovereign. 

It will be further observed, that the Church is an outward 
and visible society. The title is, in Scripture, constantly 
applied to a society of this character. Thus the elders of 
Ephesus are commanded to "feed the Church.^'' Paul and 
Barnabas are led on their way by the Chutch, Grievances 
are to be laid before the Church, and throughout the New 
Testament the visible character of the Church is acknow- 
ledged. More than this, its original constitution was outward. 
Its officers are outwardly recognized. Its sacraments are 
outwardly received ; so that " those who deny that the 
Church is visible, are compelled to deny that it is a society 
at alV^ Christ preached publicly, — the disciples followed him 
publicly, — the Apostles baptized publicly, — the early Chris- 
tians assembled and united in the visible breaking of bread ; 
and in the words of Archbishop Potter, " an instance cannot 
be produced of any Christian Church through the whole world, 
where the sacraments were not administered, the gospel 
preached, and the worship of God celebrated in an open and 
public manner. Even in the sharpest persecutions, the Chris- 
tian assemblies, though (it may be) not so openly as in times 
of peace, were constantly held, and frequented ; so little had 
the notion of an invisible Church prevailed in those early 
ages." Such then is the first aspect of the Church of Christ. 

But here arises an important question. We see around us 
a diversity of organizations, all claiming to belong to this 
Church of Christ. There are Roman Catholics, Protest- 
ant Episcopalians, Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, Mo- 
ravians, Lutherans, Quakers, Covenanters, Seceders, Soci- 
nians, and a catalogue of others, with endless subdivisions, 
which no ordinary patience would venture to recount. Now 
while each of these stands opposed in many particulars to 



120 CHURCH. 

the others, can it be possible that they all possess the elements 
of a true Church? Shall we say that Christ is divided? 
That he has not one, but many bodies? That there are 
countless Lords, countless faiths, and countless baptisms ? We 
are not unaware of the plea, that though there may be dif- 
ferences in non-essentials, yet various parties may at the same 
time be component parts of the one true Church. And this 
we grant, provided these differences extend no further than 
non-essential points. But this we deny to be the case, for 
many of these are at variance concerning points which enter 
into the very essence of the Church. Let it be remembered, 
that we are here upon the question of the outward and visible 
Church, that which is dwelt upon by the New Testament 
writers as a divine organization ; in other words, the character 
and description of that society to which Christ and his Apos- 
tles applied the term ^^ Church." Of this Church then, which 
is styled " Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic," we have the fol- 
lowing definition in Article XIX. of Religion. 

" The visible Church of Christ is a Congregation of faithful 
men, in the which the pure Word of God is preached, and 
the Sacraments be duly ministered according to Christ's 
Ordinance, in all those things that of necessity are requisite 
to the same." 

A definition, more ample, but to the same efTect, is thus 
given, in the short catechism of Edward VL, 1552 : — " That 
congregation is nothing else but a certain multitude of men ; 
which, wheresover they are, profess the pure and upright 
learning of Christ, and that in such sort as it is faithfully set 
forth in the Holy Testament, by the Evangelists and Apos- 
ties ; which in all points are governed and ruled by the laws 
and statutes of their King and High Bishop, Christ, in the 
bond of charity ; which use his holy mysteries, that are 
commonly called Sacraments, with such pureness and sim- 
plicity, as touching their nature and substance, as the Apos- 
tles of Christ used, and left behind in writing." 



CHURCH. 121 

Where, then, shall we find this Church ? Let us undertake 
the search, 

^ The Church of the New Testament was an organized body, 
established in the world by the Son of God, and by men act- 
ing under divine inspiration. In this Church were two 
remarkable constituents, on the union of which its vitality 
depended. These were its officers and its faith, both of them 
the results of divine agency. Almost without a figure, the 
FAITH may be called the soul, and the ministry the body of 
the Church. We shall therefoi'e take these as the fair and 
legitimate tests of the Church in the present day, inasmuch 
as they were destined to continue, to the world's end, to be 
the distinctive traits of the Church. 

We are not forgetful that other tests of the true Church 
have been given, such as its unity, its apostolicity, the valid 
administration of the Sacraments, &c. &c. ; but all these be- 
ing simply consequences or accessories of its divine Faith, 
and divine Order, we are not so much concerned about them, 
if we can discover the two grand characteristics from which 
they take their rise. 

First, then, of the Faith of the Church. This is given at 
large in Holy Scripture, that sacred deposite which the 
Church has ever held inviolate. 

The Christian faith is not only in its very nature one, 
but was so held universally in the primitive Church. But, 
for the detection of heresies, and the preservation of the 
Church from them, the leading doctrines of Christianity were 
early embodied in the form or index called the Apostles' 
Creed ; and this, or a concise form, holding forth the same 
principles, was probably used by the Apostles themselves, 
on the admission of members into the Church. In the Creed 
were embraced those important topics on which heresies 
were most likely to arise ; and hence it was universally used 
as a summary of the gospel, and an authoritative rule of the 
faith of Scripture. This, to render it more effectual still 
11 



122 CHURCH, 

against the intrusion of heresy, and an impregnable safe- 
guard of apostolic orthodoxy, was reviewed at the Council of 
Nice, and set forth, not as a new system of faith, but as a 
declaration of the doctrine which, from the Apostles' days, 
had been held by the Catholic Church. Wherever, then, we 
find the word of God received in this primitive and orthodox 
sense, we have, so far, a sure testimony of the existence of 
the Church. 

Let it not be objected, that we are here setting Creeds in 
the place of Scripture. This is a false view of the case. 
" The Bible," says Cecil, " is the meaning of the Bible." The 
Christian faith is not that interpretation which every man may 
choose to put on the words of Scripture, for then would 
there be ten thousand faiths, instead of one, and all certainty 
respecting truth would be lost ; but it is that interpretation or 
view of Christian doctrine, which has existed from the Apos- 
tles' times, certified by the consent of the Church universal 
in every age, and ratified by the decisions of General Coun- 
cils. The Creeds, therefore, do not usurp the place of Scrip- 
ture, their main object being to declare, in a brief summary, 
and in the clearest form, what are the essential and leading 
characteristics of the Christian faith. 

In applying this test to the various divisions of the Chris- 
tian world, we find it met by the consent of all, or nearly all, 
of those existing Churches which inherit the apostolical suc- 
cession. The Apostles' Creed is also received in its ortho- 
dox sense, by a large proportion of those religious societies 
which have sprung up since the Reformation ; consequently, 
to this extent, they bear one of the marks of the true Church 
of Christ. 

But the possession of the true faith alone, is not enough to 
constitute the Church, though there can be no true Church 
without it. Hence we are led to consider the second mark 
proposed. This was the divinely established Order of the 
Church. By this, we undei.^tand, chiefly, the existence of a 



CHURCH. 123 

body of men, possessing authority by direct transmission 
from the Apostles, to govern, to instruct, and to dispense the 
means of grace to those composing the Church. 

This authority, without which no man has a right to as- 
sume any rank above that of a layman, was originally com- 
mitted to three distinct classes of men, called in the New 
Testament, — 1. Apostles ; 2. Bishops, Presbyters, or El- 
ders ; 3. Deacons : but now known as, — 1. Bishops ; 2. Pres- 
byters, or Elders ; 3. Deacons. — (See Bishop.) To the 
highest order alone was given the power of transmitting au- 
thority to minister in sacred things, commonly called the 
power of ordination. 

Now, it must be evident, that if Christ had not at first 
commissioned a race of ministers or ambassadors to act in 
his name, the Church must, to the present day, have been 
without them : for no possible combination of men could 
have constituted a body of Apostles, with authority to rule 
the Church of God, and much less with any shadow of right 
to administer Sacraments, &c. And if a divine commission 
was absolutely necessary in \\vejirst race of Ministers, it must 
be equally necessary for all their successors ; inasmuch as 
the same duties are to be performed by them. This was 
foreseen by the great Head of the Church ; and therefore 
provision was made, that in the highest rank of the ministry, 
a power should be lodged of perpetuating to all ages the sa- 
cred office, and thus insuring to the Church a continual suc- 
cession of Pastors, bearing the same legal authority under 
which the Apostles and their fellow-laborers acted. 

This Ministry, thus transmitted by an unbroken chain of 
Apostles and Bishops, from the very time of Christ's ascen- 
sion, now exists ; and it is evident that, exclusively of this, no 
man can establish a claim to a rank in the Church, superior 
to that of a layman, unless he can prove, by actual miracle, 
his investiture with the sacred office. 

Where, then, do we find this Apostolic Order 7 The an- 



124 CHURCH. 

swer is, — In those existing religious bodies which have de- 
scended from the primitive Church. In all these, without 
exception, an Episcopal Ministry exists, in the three orders 
of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons ; and these unanimously 
refer their authority to a regular transmission from the Apos- 
tles, by succession. 

In a large proportion of those societies to which the Re- 
formation, and other subsequent events, have given rise, this 
important mark of the " visible ChUrch of Christ " fails alto- 
gether ; their Ministry being either confessedly grounded on 
human appointment, or flowing from ordinations by Presby- 
ters, to whom, (if the New Testament be true,) the power of 
perpetuating the Ministry was never committed. 

We may here remark, that the preservation of the true 
ministerial Order is not of itself sufficient to constitute the 
Church. This will be evident from the fact that all the 
heretical sects of the ancient Church, had the Apostolic Min- 
istry, while they wei^e deficient in the Faith of the Church, 
and were therefore rejected from its communion. The 
Arians, the Donatists, the Novatians, &c. &c., were all Epis- 
copal in their Ministry, and in this respect differed nothing 
from the orthodox Catholic Church. Their grand error lay 
in the want of that union of Order and Faith, which are es- 
sential to the being of the Church. 

The first deduction from the above is, that there are now 
in existence at least two classes of religious bodies, — those 
which exhibit only one mark of the Church, and those which 
retain hoth. In the latter class, stands the Protestant Epis- 
copal Church, with its undoubted inheritance of the Gospel 
Ministry, by direct succession from the Apostles, and its pos- 
session of the Gospel Faith, as proved by its reception of the 
Holy Scriptures, and those summaries of Scripture doctrine, 
the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds. Therefore, we argue, 
she is a true branch of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apos^* 
folic Church. 



CHIT 125 

The bearing of these principles on other organizations, it 
is not our object here to discuss. But it is a weighty and 
solemn question, and one which every Christian man is 
bound to propose to his conscience. Whether he is numbered 
in a Church resting on a divine foundation, and exhibiting on 
its fore-front the credentials of the Church of the living 
God ? The spirit of the present age has given currency to 
the impression, that a Church is a voluntary combination of 
individuals, which, if secure in the doctrines of the Gospel, 
may erect a ministry, without regard to its Apostolical deriva- 
tion. But what if men were reminded, that it would be as 
easy for them to create a world as to found a Church ? Yet 
so it is. Divine power was called forth in the establishment 
of both the Faith and the Order of the Church ; and if men 
would shudder at the thought of avowedly creating new doc- 
trinCf so should they tremble at any attempt to innovate on 
the Order of God's Church. Heresy is an offence against 
the one, and schism a breach of the other ; and of the hein- 
ousness of these crimes, let the Apostles be the judges, and 
the consciences of men. If, in the view of all men, a Church 
stands forth, bearing the sure credentials of her truth, and of 
her rightful authority, it is no trifling peril to refuse commu- 
nion with her ; and to proceed further, by erecting independ- 
ent organizations, manifestly defective in at least one grand 
constituent of the Church, (not to say in open hostility to it,) is 
to venture on an enterprise, the defence of which at God's 
bar we should fear to trust, unless we could plead, in the 
sincerity of our souls, invincible ignorance. 

Church edifice. A building set apart and consecrated 
for the worship of God, more properly and usually called 
a Chukch, without the addition of " edifice," which is always 
understood. 

Church government. The mode in which the Church is 
ruled and governed, by those who have lawful authority in it. 
Church Government is not to be confounded with the Ministry 

11* 



126 CHU 

of the Church, though the mistake is not an unfrequent one. 
There may be many Churches having the same form of Min- 
istry, and yet, in all these the government may be very differ- 
ent. For example : the Church of England, the Greek 
Church, and the Episcopal Church in the United States, have 
all the same kind of a Ministry ; viz., of Bishops, Priests, 
and Deacons ; but yet, the government, or the manner in 
which these rule their Churches^ and the laws or canons by 
which they act, are in many things widely different ; so that 
it is important always^ to remember this distinction, for the 
want of which, many have arrayed themselves against the 
government of our Church, when, in truth, their objections lay 
against the Ministry, or the fact of our having Bishops^ 
Priests, and Deacons, which is quite another matter. And 
in like manner some have objected to the Ministry of the 
Church, when, in fact, their allegations referred to some 
points in our government, or in the regulations and Canons 
by which the Church is ruled. 

It should not be forgotten, that for our Church Govern- 
ment we do not claim divine authority, it being a matter which 
the Church has power to devise and establish, and to vary in 
different countries, according to circumstances. But the 
Ministry incontestahly rests on divine authority, and therefore 
cannot be changed by the Church, but is the same every- 
where, and at all times, and will so continue to the end of the 
world. 

Churching of women. A service appointed in the 
Prayer-book, to be performed when a woman desires to re- 
turn thanks to God for her safe delivery in child-bed. It was 
a pious and ancient custom for Christians always to appear 
before God after a recovery from dangerous sickness, to 
thank and praise him for his goodness in restoring them to 
health. And this was especially becoming, after deliverance 
from "the great peril and danger of child-birth." As this 
thanksgiving was usually offered on the woman's first appear- 



cmr 127 

ance at Church after her sickness, the probability is that it 
hence derived the name of Churching, indicating her return 
again to the privileges and worship of God's holy temple. 
This service is now not frequently used, one of the occasional 
thanksgivings being generally substituted, viz., that entitled 
" The thanksgiving of Women after Childbirth ; to he said 
when any woman, being present in Church, shall have desired 
to return thanks to Almighty God for her safe deliverance.^^ 

Churchman. This term, though originally applied to the 
Clergy, is now used in a less restricted sense, for any one 
who approves and believes the doctrines of the Church, who 
is attached to her solemn services, partakes of her sacra- 
ments, submits to her godly discipline, and respects her wise 
and venerable usages. 

The name of Churchman is seldom given in popular dis- 
course, to any others than Episcopalians, though from its ob- 
vious import it ought to be the valued title of every professing 
Christian. We read in the New Testament, that when the 
Apostles, by preaching the gospel, converted many Jews and 
Gentiles, they immediately added them to the Church, as our 
blessed Redeemer had commanded, and thus, all these con- 
verts became, in the true and proper sense of the term, 
Churchmen, and were " obedient to the faith," and to those 
who " had the rule over them." Since the days of the Apos- 
tles, hundreds of years have gone by, yet the same Church 
continues which they established, the same Ministry exists, 
the same gospel is preached, the same sacraments are ad- 
ministered. The lapse of time only proves the immortality 
of the Church, which was built on the Apostles and Prophets. 
The same relation also continues between the body and the 
members composing it. And if any other designation than 
that of Christian be required, none can be more happy and 
more thoroughly descriptive of one who professes adherence 
to this Church, and receives what she teaches in agreement 
with Holy Scripture, than the familiar title of Churchman* 



128 ciR 

Church-wardens. Certain lay officers " of ihe ecclesi- 
astical affairs of a parish. These officers were instituted to 
protect the edifice of the Church ; to superintend the cere- 
monies of public worship ; to promote the observance of re- 
ligious duties ; to form and execute parochial regulations ; 
and to become, as occasion may require, the legal represent- 
atives of the body of the parish."* 

The Church-wardens, with the Vestrymen, are chosen an- 
nually in Easter week, according to the customs or Canons 
of the various Dioceses. 

The General Canons of the Church do not prescribe the 
duties of these officers, this being left to Diocesan regula- 
tion, and that common understanding of the nature and lim- 
its of their powers, which time has handed down. Though 
there is no distinct enumeration of their duties in the general 
laws of the Church, yet, the most important of these may be 
gleaned from the Rubrics and the Diocesan Canons, to which 
we refer the reader. 

Church-yard. The place where the dead ai'e buried, 
so called, because in former times the place of burial 
was almost always in the yard or grounds about the 
Church, or at least, in some of the lands belonging to the 
Church. 

Circumcision. A Jewish rite, by which children at the 
age of eight days, were admitted members of the Church. It 
was also practised on adults, and answered nearly the same 
purpose with baptism in the Christian Church, except in the 
extent of spiritual blessings annexed to it. 

Circumcision of Christ. This feast is celebrated by the 
Church, to commemorate the active obedience of Jesus 
Christ, in fulfilling all righteousness, which is one branch of 
the meritorious cause of our redemption ; and by that means 



* Laws Relating to the Clergy. 



CLE 129 

abrogating the severe injunctions of the Mosaical establish- 
ment, and putting us under the grace of the Gospel. 

The institution of this feast is of very considerable anti- 
quity. In the sixth century a special and appropriate service 
for it was in use. It sometimes took the name of the " Oc- 
tave of Christmas," or the eighth day from that festival. 

If this festival be considered merely as the commemora- 
tion of the circumcision of our Lord, its institution, or at 
least its revival, commenced with our Reformation, or on the 
publication of our English Liturgy, and was first observed on 
January 1, 1549-50. 

Clergy. A title by which the Ministers of the Church 
are distinguished from the Laity. See Clerk. 

The designation was frequently given, in the ancie«nt Church, 
to the inferior orders, (which See,) perhaps more frequently 
than to those who possessed the true ministerial office. The 
first Apostolic Canon runs in these words, viz., " Let a Bishop 
be ordained by two or three Bishops, a Priest by one Bishop, 
and so likewise a Deacon, and any other ClergynianJ'^ Here 
the inferior orders are alluded to as embraced under the 
term Clergy. 

At a later period, it became customary to designate Bish- 
ops and Priests, " and perhaps Deacons,"* as 'Isparjxoj, (those 
of the Priesthood,) while Sub-deacons, Readers, &;c., were 
called KX'/jpixoj, (Clergy.) Thus, in the 27th Canon of Lao- 
dicea, it is said, " That neither those of the Priesthood, 
('Isparixoi,) nor the Clergy, (KXrjpjxoi,) nor of the Laity, ought," 
&c. The 30th Canon of the same Council uses the same 
terms, as also the 36th, 54th, and 55th. 

At a still later date, when the order of the Ministry was 
restored to its scriptural triple form, and divested of the in- 
cumbrance of inferior degrees, resting only on human author- 



* Johnson on the Canonical Codes, 



130 



CLE 



ity, the term came to be restricted to Bishops, Priests, and 
Deacons, and in that sense alone it is now used in the 
Church, 

" The Clergy were formerly divided into regular and 
secular : the regular were such as lived under certain rules, 
as all abbots, priors, monks, &c. ; the secular were those who 
did not live under any certain rules of any religious order, 
as bishops, deans, parsons, &c. But now the word Clergy 
comprehends all persons in holy orders, and in ecclesiastical 
offices."* 

Clergyman. Any Minister of the Church of Christ, whe. 
ther a bishop, priest, or deacon. 

Clerical. Relating or pertaining to the Clergy. 

Clerical garments. The dresses or robes which are 
worn by Ministers when performing the service of the 
Church. 

Of these, the following kinds are used in the Protestant 
Episcopal Church in the United States : — 

1. The Bishop's robes, usually of lawn, fine linen, and 
black satin. These are sometimes denominated the " Epis- 
copal Habit." 

2. The Surplice, a plain white linen garment, worn at the 
reading of divine service, the administration of baptism, and the 
Holy Communion, and frequently at marriages and funerals, 
when they take place in the Church. A black silk scarf is 
generally worn with the surplice, reaching from the neck or 
shoulders to the feet. 

3. The Gown, a black robe with large sleeves, chiefly used 
by the Minister while preaching or lecturing. This is pro- 
perly a University or College garment, but is now adopted by 
the Church. 

4. The Cassock, a black cloth or silk garment resembling 



* Laws Relating to the Clergy. 



CLERICAL GARMENTS. 131 

a long frock-coat, made wide in front, to cover over the breast, 
and button down the side. A silk girdle or sash, (technically- 
called a " surcingle,") tied about the waist, is usually worn 
with the cassock, and the black gown or the surplice is put on 
over the whole. 

5. The Bands^ are a small but very conspicuous part of 
the dress, being made of fine white linen, and appended to the 
neck-cloth or cravat in front. 

The dress of a Bishop may not be \\'ot\\ by any of the 
Priests or Deacons ; but the other garments, viz., the surplice, 
gown, or cassock, may be used by any Minister, whether he 
be a Bishop, Priest, or Deacon. 

The reason why these garments are worn, is, because the 
Church has never thought it becoming or proper for the Min- 
ister to come before God's presence in the services of his 
temple, without something which should remind both Minis- 
ter and people of the reverence due to God, and the awful re- 
spect with which his worship should be conducted. And to 
this end, it has seemed right that Ministers should not perform 
divine service in their ordinary dress alone, but in one which 
is more sacred and appropriate, and never used for any other 
purpose. " We find that, under the law, the Jewish Priests 
were, by God's own appointment, to wear decent sacred vest- 
ments at all times ;* but at the time of public service, they 
were to have, besides those ordinary garments, a white linen 
Ephod."-f — (Wheatly.) The surplice or white garment used 
in the Church, is especially deserving of notice, not only for 
its perfect propriety, but also because of its great antiquity, 
it having been in use in the Churches for many hundred 
years ; almost, indeed, from the very time when the Apos- 
ties lived. 



* Exodus, xxviii. and xxix. 

t Exodus, xxviii. 4. I. Sam. ii. 18. 



132 CLERICAL GARMENTS. 

" The colour of the surplice," says Wheatly, " is very suit- 
able ; for it aptly represents the innocence and righteous- 
ness wherewith God's ministers ought to be clothed. — (Ps. 
cxxxii. 9.) And it is observable, that the Ancient of Days, 
(Dan. vii. 9,) is represented as having garments white as 
snow ; and that when our Saviour was transfigured, his rai- 
ment was white as the light, (Matt. xvii. 2 ;) and that when- 
ever angels have appeared to men, they have always been 
clothed in white apparel. — (Mat* xxviii. 3, — Mark, xvi. 5, — 
Acts, i. 10, — Rev. vi. 11, vii. 9, xv. 6, xix. 8-14.)" 

" The substance of it is linen, for woollen would be thought 
ridiculous, and silk would scarce be afforded : and we may 
observe, that under the Jewish dispensation, God himself or- 
dered that the priests should not gird themselves with any 
thing that caused sweat, (Ezek. xliv. 18 ;) to signify the 
purity of heart that ought to be in those that were set apart to 
the performance of divine service ; for which reason the 
Jewish Ephods were linen, (1 Sam. ii. 18,) as were also most 
of the other garments which the priests wore during their 
ministrations. — (Lev. xvi. 4 ; Ezek. xliv. 17, 18.) The 
Levites, also, that were singers, were arrayed in white linen, 
(2 Chron. v. 12 ;) and the armies that followed the Lamb 
were clothed in ^ne linen, (Rev. xix. 14 ;) and to the Lamb's 
wife was granted, that she should be arrayed in fine linen, 
white and clean ; for the fine linen is (i. e. represents) the 
righteousness of saints, ^^ (Rev. xix. 8.) 

Some objections have been urged against the use of these 
garments ; but they are generally made by those who have 
not been educated as Episcopalians, and therefore not accus- 
tomed to the usages of the Church. When the meaning of the 
surplice and gown is understood, very few will- wish to urge 
objections against them, but rather to fall in with the estab- 
lished custom of the Church. 

Some have said that it is popish to wear them. But it 
might with as good reason be alleged that it is popish to wear 



cut 133 

our ordinary clothes, for Roman Catholics do the same. If 
the Roman Catholics were wrong in wearing clerical gar- 
ments, and if we wore precisely the same kind, then we should 
be guilty of the same error with them ; but neither of these 
things can be proved, and till then, we may be allowed quietly 
to maintain the ancient and pious customs of the Church . 
The danger of evil is not in the use of such garments, but in 
the abuse of them, as in those churches where their form, 
colour, variety and splendor, are in strong contrast with the 
simplicity which prevails in the Episcopal Church, and fur- 
nish just and weighty ground of objection. 

2d. It is alleged that God does not require his Ministers 
to use these garments. But neither does he Jbrbid them. 
We use them for his honor ; and wherever God has spoken 
about such things in the Bible, it has always been in their 
favor ; so that we have good reason to believe, that in using 
them we do not act contrary to his will, but rather in ac- 
cordance with it. 

3d. It is said, that we can worship God fully as well with- 
out them. But it might as well be said, that we can worship 
him also without building churches, and without uncovering 
our heads, and without kneeling when we pray, and standing 
when we sing, and without the greater part of those things to 
which we are accustomed, but which are not directly com- 
manaed in the Bible. We are persuaded that the service of 
the Church is more decent and solemn with these garments 
than without them, and if we are benefited by them even a 
little, is it too much to ask that we should quietly retain and 
use them? 

Clerk. The legal designation of a Clergyman, from the 
Latin dericus. This title was very early applied to the min- 
isters of the Christian Church. St. Jerome finds the origin 
of the title in the Greek KX^poj, a lot, and adds : — " God's 
Ministers were called Clerici, either because they are the 
lot and portion of the Lord, or because the Lord is their lot ; 
12 



134 COL 

that is, their inheritance." " Others," says Bingham, "think 
some regard was had to the ancient custom of choosing per- 
sons into sacred offices by lot, both among the Jews and Gen- 
tiles ; which is not improbable, though that custom never 
generally prevailed among Christians." 

By later usage the term has been applied to laymen ap- 
pointed to conduct or lead the responses of the congregation, 
and otherwise to assist in the services of the Church. 

" Cloke," or "Cloak." A word, somewhat obsolete, oc- 
curring in the exhortation at the beginning of Morning and 
Evening Prayer, thus : — " Dearly beloved brethren, the 
Scripture moveth us, &c. &c. ; and that we should not dis- 
semble nor cloke them before the face of Almighty God," 
&c. ; that is, we should not endeavour to hide or conceal our 
sins from God, for to deceive Him is impossible ; and be- 
sides, it is the duty of penitent sinners to approach him with 
sorrow for their sins, and to " confess them with an humble, 
lowly, penitent, and obedient heart." 

Collect. A name given to certain brief and comprehen- 
sive prayers, which are found in all known liturgies and pub- 
lic devotional offices. The use of the term being very an- 
cient, it is difficult, if not impossible, to give any satisfactory 
account of its rise. Ritualists have thought that these pray- 
ers were so called, because they were used in the public con- 
gregation or collection of the people ; or, from the fact of 
many petitions being here collected together in a brief sum- 
mary ; or because they comprehend objects of prayer gath- 
ered out of the Epistles and Gospels. 

Whatever may be the origin of the term, it is one of great 
antiquity, having been mentioned by writers of the third 
century.* Collects are probably as ancient as Liturgies ; 
and Liturgies as ancient as the Christian Church. Of those 
now in use, few are of modern date. They have been culled 

* Shepherd. 



COLLECT. 135 

from the devotional offices of ages past ; and of not a few it 
may be said that " their origin lies in the distant glory of 
primitive Christianity."* 

The compilers of our Prayer-book were diligent students 
of the Liturgies, &c., which had been handed down to them. 
From these, they made their selections with admirable judg. 
ment ; and the only marvel is, that in their " troublous times," 
a discriminating and impartial spirit was preserved, which, 
instead of condemning the ancient forms in the mass, was 
content to sift them and retain their goodness. Among the 
prizes thus gained from " the olden time," were the Collects 
of the Church. The majority of these " occur in the Latin 
language, in the ancient missals of Salisbury, York, Here- 
ford, &;c. ; and they are also in the sacramentaries of the 
English Church, written before the Norman conquest. We 
meet them in all the ancient MSS. of Gregory's Sacrament- 
ary, as used in the Roman, Italian, and other Western 
Churches, and thence show that they formed part of that 
sacramentary, when it was first introduced into England by 
Augustine, first Archbishop of Canterbury; and in conse- 
quence, that they have been used by the Church of this 
country for above 1200 years. Many of the Collects, how- 
ever, are much more ancient than the time of Gregory, A. D. 
590 ; they occur in the sacramentary of Gelasius, Patriarch 
of Rome, A. D. 494 ; and some may be traced to the Leo- 
nian Sacramentary, used in the Roman Church, about A. D. 
483."t 

The advantages of prayers in the brief form of Collects, 
are, — the relief they give to the worshipper; the variety 
they throw into the service ; the ^xing of attention, by new 
impulses of thought ; the solemnizing of the mind, by fre- 
quent invocations of the Hearer of prayer ; the constant re- 
ference of all our hopes to the merits and mediation of Christ, 



* Origines LiturgicsB, II. p. 40. t Ibid. p. 313. 



136 COM 

in whose name every Collect is offered ; and lastly, the in- 
spiring feeling, that in them we are offering up our prayers 
in the same words which have been on the lips of the mar- 
tyrs and saints of all ages. " It is an animating reflection," 
says Bishop Brownell, — " It must give energy to our faith, 
and add wings to our petitions, when we consider that we 
are offering up those consecrated devotions which, from the 
lips and hearts of holy men, h«,ve from age to age ascended 
like incense up to heaven, and have been a more pleasing 
and acceptable sacrifice to the Almighty, than " thousands of 
rams, and ten thousands of rivers of oil."* 

Commandments. See Decalogue. 

Commemoration. A service appointed by the Church in 
memory of some remarkable event, or of some distinguished 
person. Most of the Holy-days of the Church, especially the 
festivals, are days of this kind. On all the Sundays of the 
year, we commemorate the resurrection of our Saviour Christ. 
On Christmas, we commemorate his birth. On Epiphany, 
the visit of the wise men. On Easter, his rising from the 
tomb, &c. Those, also, usually called Saints' days, are 
dedicated to the memory of the holy men after whom they 
are named, as St. Andrew, St. Thomas, St. John, &c., 
whose examples and eminent piety the Church does well, on 
these holy-days, to call to our remembrance, and propose for 
our imitation. See Holy-days. 

In the Romish Church, commemorations are also " the mix, 
ing the service of some holy-day of lesser note, with the ser- 
vice of a Sunday or holy-day of greater eminency, on which 
the less holy-day happens to fall. In which case, it is ap- 
pointed, that only the hymns, verses, &c., and some other 
part of the service of the lesser holy-day, be annexed to that 
of the greater." 

. i . _ 

* Commentary on the Prayer-book, p. 37. 



COM 137 

Commendations. In the early Church, these were certain 
prayers, in which catechumens, penitents, and persons at the 
point of death, were solemnly recommended to the protection 
of God. In the Office for Visitation of the Sick, a prayer of 
this description is preserved, entitled, " A Commendatory 
Prayer for a sick person at the point of departure." 

CoMMiNATiON. A denunciation or threatening of divine 
wrath. In the Prayer-book of the Church of England is an 
office bearing this title, or a " Denouncing of God's Anger 
and Judgments against Sinners," to be used " on the first 
day of Lent, and at other times, as the Ordinary shall ap- 
point." In the American Prayer-book the only portion of 
this office retained, has been incorporated in the service for 
Ash Wednesday, and consists of the two concluding collects, 
with the general supplication, " Turn thou us, O good 
Lord," &c. 

Commission. The spiritual authority with which a min- 
ister is invested in the act of ordination, empowering him to 
execute the functions of the office to which he is appointed. 
See Uninterrupted Succession. 

Committee, Standing. An ecclesiastical body generally 
consisting of Clergy and Laity, annually elected by the Con- 
vention of each Diocese, to aid the Bishop in certain depart- 
ments of duty, connected with the government of the Church, 
and to constitute the " ecclesiastical authority," to an extent 
defined by the Canons, in a Diocese where there is no 
Bishop. 

In the earlier Conventions of the Church, it was felt that 
in the preliminary steps to ordination, there should be, under 
the Bishop, some definite and responsible party, empowered 
to judge of the qualifications of Candidates for the ministry, 
and to report thereon ; thus relieving the Bishop from an 
onerous duty ; — interposing a check on the admission of un- 
worthy aspirants ; and enabling the Convention, so far as 
called upon, to act efficiently in its recess, by authorizing 
12* 



138 COMMITTEE, STANDING. 

and employing such a body. At first, this object was met, 
by the appointment of a Committee of the Convention of a 
Diocese having a Bishop, to act for that body during its 
recess. This Committee, maintaining its existence, and 
having power to act at any time during the interval between 
two Conventions, received the name of a Standing (or per- 
manent) Committee. 

It does not appear that the appointment of these Com- 
mittees was otherwise than inferentially provided for by the 
Canons, till the year 1808, when, by the 4th Canon of the 
General Convention, their existence in every State or Diocese 
was made a part of the law of the Church. By this provi- 
sion they assumed a more independent form than belonged 
to them in their previous simple dependence on diocesan 
regulation. The 24th Canon of the same Convention also 
constituted them " a council of advice to the Bishop," and 
their existence in Dioceses having no Bishop, was recog- 
nized by this and several other Canons. 

The Standing Committee, on their appointment by the 
Convention, " elect from their own body a president and 
secretary," and meet from time to time, or on special occa- 
sions, by the call of the president, for the transaction of 
business. 

" Where there is no Bishop, the Standing Committee is 
the ecclesiastical authority for all purposes declared"* in the 
Canons of the General Convention, or those of the particular 
Dioceses. 

The position occupied by these bodies, is intermediate be- 
tween the Bishop and the Church in his Diocese, and also 
between the Diocese and the General Convention ; it being 
their province to act for the House of Clerical and Lay De- 
puties, in case of the election of a Bishop during the recess of 
the General Convention. The detail of the duties of the 



* Canon IV. of the General Convention. 



COM 139 

Standing Committee, is not to be found otherwise than as it 
may be gleaned from the Canons both General and Diocesan ; 
to enumerate which would be here impossible and unne- 
cessary. 

Common Prayer. The Prayer-book is so characterized 
principally for the two following reasons : — 

1st. Because it instructs us to pray for all men in common, 
or for " all sorts and conditions of men " — whether rich or 
poor, Christians, Jews, or heathen, persons in authority, or 
those who are under them. This duty is not only called for 
by true benevolence, and sanctioned by the example of all 
holy men, but is directly commanded in the word of God, 
See particularly 1 Timothy, ii. 1 : " I exhort therefore, that, 
first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving 
of thanks, be made for all jnen : For kings, and for all that 
are in authority," &c. 

2d. Because it is designed for the use of all descriptions 
of worshippers. Prayer is a mutual duty. Every one ought 
to be prayed for, and every one also ought to pray. And 
though it may be that many will not pray even for them, 
selves, it is not the less our duty as Christians to pray for 
them, that God would mercifully turn their hearts, and lead 
them to repentance. The Prayer-book presents a body of 
supplications, in admirable vaiiety, which can be used at all 
times, and by all classes of Christians. And when we as- 
semble together in the sanctuary to worship the Giver of all 
good things, our united devotions ascend in the same lan- 
guage and forms, and may, in the strictest sense, be called 
common or general prayers. See Liturgy. 

" Common SurPLicAxioNS." See the prayer of St. Chry- 
sostom at the end of the Daily Service of the Church, where 
the epithet common is not used to signify ordinary, inferior y 
&c., but united, mutual, or universal — supplications made by 
the congregation with one accord, each desiring a participa- 
tion in the blessings asked for by his brethren. 



140 COM 

Communicant. One who has been admitted to the recep- 
tion of the Holy Communion. This term is not to be con- 
sidered as synonymous with the appellation " Church-mem- 
ber," though it is inclusive of it. A " Church-member " is 
one who has been baptized, whether a partaker at the altar 
or not ; but the name of " Communicant " is, by common 
usage, given only to those Church-members who, in fulfil- 
ment of their solemn obligations, have become recipients 
of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. 

Communicate. To partake of the Lord's Supper or Holy 
Communion. In this sense the term is used in the Exhorta- 
tion to the negligent, in the Communion Office. " It is an 
easy matter for a man to say, I will not communicate, be- 
cause I am otherwise hindered," &c. It also occurs several 
times in the rubrics of the " Communion of the Sick," with 
the same ordinary meaning. 

Another application of the term is to the doing of acts of 
charity and benevolence, as in Hebrews, xiii. 16. " To do 
good, and to communicate, [distribute,] forget not." 

CoMMUNio. " It was the custom of the primitive Church 
to fill up the time during which the people communicated, by 
singing a psalm. We find from Cyril, Chrysostom, and Je- 
rome, that in the Churches of Antioch and Jerusalem, " O 
taste and see," &c., was sung during the communion in the 
fourth century. In the west we find numerous traces of the 
same custom. Augustine expressly mentions it, and it ap- 
pears to have prevailed in Gaul and Italy. In after times it 
was generally adopted in the west, and the anthem was 
called Communio."* 

CoMMUNiON-BooK. The name formerly given to a book 
containing the communion office of the Church. 

Communion, Church. In the popular sense, a fellowship 
and participation in the privileges of the Church. The term, 

* Origines Liturgicae, I. p. 153. 



COMMUNION, CHURCH. 141 

thus used, "refers more especially to the relation subsisting 
between individuals and the Church. On this we do not pur. 
pose to dwell, but rather to consider it in reference to that 
harmonious unity and mutual concord which should exist be- 
tween the various branches constituting the Catholic Church 
of Christ. 

In the Apostolic and primitive ages, a perfect and admira- 
ble unity reigned throughout the Church. Every branch of 
it was in communion with all other branches. One general 
interest pervaded the whole, and in the strictest sense, there 
was acknowledged " One Lord, one faith, and one baptism." 
The Church was then in her golden days. Free from inter- 
nal dissension, and able to bring all her powers to bear at 
any point, for the suppression of error, she exhibited a spec- 
tacle of sublimity and beauty, which even her enemies did 
not fail to admire, and over which the angels of heaven 
might well rejoice. 

While then the Church was at unity with itself, and 
brotherly love knew no bounds of party and sect, but spread 
to the remotest corners of Christendom, the question will be 
an interesting one, " In what did this universal communion 
consist, and how did it manifest itself between the large and 
important bodies of Christians, which, though widely sepa- 
rated by territory, climate, customs, and the genius of the 
people, were all integral parts of the universal Church ?" 
To thiiS question we reply as follows : — • 

1. As there was but " one faith " in the whole Christian 
world, and this was summed up in the Church's Creeds, there 
was a mutual care among all the Churches to preserve and 
maintain this faith pure and entire. Hence, on the conse^ 
oration of a Bishop, a declaration of his soundness in the 
faith was made before a Synod, and his circular letters were 
sent to foreign churches, assuring them of his communion 
with them. So important was this mutual understanding 
respecting the faith, that " if any Church deserted or de- 



142 COMMUNION, CHtJRCH. 

stroyed this faith in whole or in part, they were looked upon 
as rebels and traitors against Christ, and enemies to the 
common faith, and treated as a conventicle of heretics, and 
not of Christians."* 

2. In the case of any local heresy, every portion of the 
Church stood ready to render its assistance in suppressing it. 
A breach of the faith was a general calamity, and met with 
a general resistance. Bishops, sound in the faith, were al- 
lowed at such times to go into the diocese where the heresy 
prevailed, and ordain men " to oppose the malignant designs 
of the enemy," though at any other time this would have 
been a breach of order. Every security was thus given for 
the preservation of the Catholic faith, and all acted in con- 
cert to overthrow any departure from it. 

3. Every member of a national or particular Church, was 
ipso facto a member of the Church at large ; and conse- 
quently, whatever foreign country he might have occasion to 
visit, he was literally at home in any Church of that country, 
and was not only privileged, but bound to unite in its worship, 
and partake at its altars. The Church was like one vast 
Diocese, in which every temple was open to Christians from 
east, west, north, or south. 

So also with the Clergy. In travelling, they were eligible 
to assist in the performance of divine offices, (on presenting 
their canonical letters,) in any Church in the whole world. 
But in so doing, were of course required to conform to 
the liturgies and customs of those Churches. For while 
the faith was one and the same in all Churches, the forms 
and usages in divine worship were various, but all agreeing 
in the recognition of the essential features of gospel truth. 
So far as ceremonies and the order of divine worship were 
concerned, every diocese or patriarchate had its own pecu- 
liarities ; but as these never affected the integrity of the 

* Bingham, Chr. Antiq. vi. 6. 



COMMUNION, CHURCH. 143 

faith* every foreign clergyman might with full freedom of 
conscience conform to the customs of the Churches he might 
happen to visit. 

4. Acts of discipline in any part of the Church, were 
recognized and respected universally. As a person " duly 
baptized and thereby admitted to be a member of any par- 
ticular Church," had a " right to communicate in any part 
of the Catholic Church, travelling with commendatory letters 
from the Bishop of his own Church;" so, in case of his sus- 
pension, excommunication, &c., he was denied the privileges, 
not only of his own particular Church, but of the Church at 
large, every portion of it sanctioning the discipline of any 
other portion. 

5. All Churches agreed in receiving the decisions of General 
Councils. These Councils were indeed of themselves evidence 
of a prevailing unity throughout the Church, each portion 
sending its Bishops, and having its representation in those 
great central bodies. Whatever decrees or canons were 
passed by such Councils, were therefore obligatory on the 
whole Church. And from these may be dated the rise of 
many customs, &c., which obtained general favor ; the great- 
est deference being shown by evcy portion of the Church to 
the decisions of these venerable bodies. 

These were the principal points in which the communion 
of the primitive churches with each other manifested itself. 
And it is impossible for the Christian mind to think other- 
wise of it, than as a lovely exemplification of the Church 
principles of the New Testament carried out into actual 
practice. There was something in those early days which 
bound men together in their Christian relations, with an indis- 
soluble firmness. The question of life or death was a trifle, 
when compared with the horror attached to a breach of the 
unity of the Church. And so essential was the maintenance 
of the most thorough and amicable communion between the 
various branches of the Church Catholic, that the least indi- 



144 COMMUNION, CHURCH. 

cation of the contrary in any particular Diocese, was instantly 
felt throughout the whole like an electric shock ; and men 
bound themselves firmer with the girdle of unity, and rallied 
together to withstand what was rightly esteemed a general 
calamity. 

What then was the origin of this unanimity ? Unques- 
tionably, a right view of the nature of the Church, and a 
holy dread of disobedience to Him who had founded it. 
Unity was one of the most imperative commands of Christ, 
and was incessantly urged and enforced by the Apostles, and 
riveted upon men's minds, as a cardinal principle, never to 
be forgotten. Such a thing as a Church existing in dis- 
united fragments, (not to say hostile ones,) was to the prim- 
itive Christians, as incomprehensible a thing as separate in- 
terests among the principalities of heaven, or as disunion 
between the Persons of the adorable Godhead. The Church 
was one, however scattered through the different countries of 
the earth. This was a mere accident which could not touch 
its unity ; nay, had the earth swelled to the dimensions of 
Saturn or the Sun, and its Churches been increased a million 
fold, there would still have been felt the universal obligation 
to preserve the sacred unity of the Church unbroken, and to 
continue, strong as ever, that cordial spirit of intercom- 
munion which was so prominent a characteristic of the Apos. 
tolic Church. 

To glance from this to the divisions and discords of modern 
times, is little less than to inflict a wound on the reader. 
Should the Son of Man now come, would he find faith on the 
earth — thai faith which demands the unity of the Spirit in 
the bond of peace ? To the faithfulness of God to his pro- 
mises, we owe the preservation of his Church. To the un- 
faithfulness of man to his obligations, we owe the fearful 
distractions of that Church. As Episcopalians, we acknow- 
ledge still one holy Catholic Church. And, not by our own 
act, but by the usurpations and corruptions of other branches 



COM 145 

of the Church, — usurpations which would have been frowned 
upon in the early Church, are we driven for conscience' sake, 
to refuse communion with them to the extent of their errors. 
We allow the right of every branch of the Church to its own 
ceremonies, liturgies, usages, and discipline, «o they be not 
contrary to the Word of God. The Ministry which has de- 
scended from the Apostles, we every where acknowledge, on 
evidence of its unbroken succession. Hence, we profess to 
stand in no other than the same attitude with every original 
branch of the primitive Church, and take no exceptions 
against other branches, only in so far as they would have been 
universally excepted against in the purest ages. We withhold 
communion only to the extent of error (the Scripture being 
judge,) in the other party. Let this, therefore, be removed, 
and we may hope again to see that delightful interchange of 
affection and fellowship in faith and worship, which so nobly 
distinguished the Church in her young and better days. 

Communion, Holy. " The Supper of the Lord," says 
Bishop Jewell, " is a sacrament — that is, an evident repre- 
sentation — of the body and blood of Christ, wherein is set, 
as it were, before our eyes, the death of Christ, and his 
resurrection, and whatsoever he did whilst he was in his 
mortal body ; to the end we may give him thanks for his 
death, and for our deliverance ; and that by the often 
receiving of this sacrament, we may daily renew the re- 
membrance thereof, to the intent we, being fed with the 
body and blood of Christ, may be brought into the hope 
of the resurrection, and of everlasting life, and may most 
assuredly believe, that as our bodies be fed with bread 
and wine, so our souls be fed with the body and blood of 
Christ."* 

The names designating this sacrament are, the Eucharist, 



* Jewell's Apology, 52. 
13 



146 COMMUNION, HOLY. 

or thanksgiving ; the Lord's Supper, in reference to the cir- 
cumstances of its institution ; the Communion, because in 
this, the members of Christ maintain communion with their 
Head, and with one another. It is also denominated a " feast," 
a "sacrifice of thanksgiving," &;c., &c. 

In the present article, it will be our principal object to con- 
sider the holy Communion, rather in its liturgical than in its 
doctrinal or practical aspect. 

The mode in which this sacrament was originally cele- 
brated, was such as corresponded with the humble rank, and 
simplicity of manners, which characterized the early Chris- 
tians. In the primitive Church it was customary, on almost 
all occasions of divine worship, to celebrate the Lord's Sup- 
per. At these times, oblations were made by the people, 
consisting of bread, wine, and other things. These were 
applied to the support of the Clergy, the relief of the 
poor, and the supply of the Lord's table ; a portion of 
the bread and wine being reserved for that purpose. This 
was the practice in the first century, while the Apostles 
were still alive. 

It appears, that the celebration of the Eucharist was not 
at first public, but those who held the rank of catechumens, 
and were only in a course of preparation for baptism, were 
carefully excluded. The early pastors divided their flocks 
into the two classes of catechumens and believers. To the 
first, the simplest principles only of the gospel of Christ were 
taught ; and if the pastor had occasion at any time, in their 
presence, to speak to the believers of the higher mysteries of 
Christianity, he expressed himself in a kind of obscure lan- 
guage, understood only by the initiated. This practice was 
said to be of divine authority, and a number of texts of scrip- 
ture were alleged as involving it. 

It was the custom, as we have said, to administer the Com- 
munion at almost every season of regular public worship. 
Even as late as the fourth century, we are told that it was 



COMMUNION, HOLY. 14*^ 

held two or three times a week in many places, and on every 
Sunday in others. It was also celebrated at the tombs of 
martyrs, and at funerals, and from these customs, probably, 
we may date the rise of masses in the Romish Church for 
the benefit of the dead, and in memory of departed Saints. 
Another practice followed after this, viz., the holding up of 
the bread and wine in the sight of the people, who viewed 
these symbols with a deep feeling of reverence, and from 
this, in all probability, arose the popish " adoration of the 
host." 

About 600 years after Christ, the privacy attending the 
administration of the Eucharist was thrown aside, and by 
the command of Gregory the great, its celebration was at- 
tended with a " magnificent assemblage of pompous cere- 
monies." From that day it has preserved, in most of the 
unreformed Churches, these same traits of splendor, together 
with the belief of the actual change of the elements into the 
true body and blood of Jesus Christ. 

At the time of the Reformation, and the compiling of the 
Prayer-book, the forms of the Romish mass were laid aside, 
and the ancient Liturgies and sacramentaries being examin- 
ed, the most pure and primitive portions were selected, and 
from them principally our admirable Office for the Eucharist 
was framed. Great care was required in the arrangement 
and formation of this service. The ordinance itself is the 
sublimest act of Christian worship. It is that in which the 
sincere believer experiences the greatest outpouring of divine 
grace. Being instituted in remembrance of the passion and 
death of our Blessed Redeemer, it abounds with the most 
affecting and heavenly associations. Sensible of this, the 
compilers found it necessary to use more than ordinary care 
and discrimination in this part of their labors. In rejecting 
the Romish doctrine of transubstantiation, they were not for- 
getful to guard against an opposite extreme — the degradation 
of the sacrament into a mere act of memory. Their object 



148 • ' COMMUNION, HOLY. 

was to frame a service on scriptural principles, as these 
principles were understood in the early Church. They found 
that the primitive believers celebrated the Supper of the Lord 
with the greatest demonstrations of religious joy. The 
Liturgies of the early Church prove this, being full of high 
and heavenly breathings of soul, coupled with strains of de- 
votion, almost enthusiastic. Here then was the model ; and 
admirably have our compilers followed it, by not only catch- 
ing its spirit, but in many cases its very words ; — thus quali- 
fying us, so far as the external apparatus is concerned, to 
unite with the worthies of a better age in their sublimest acts 
of worship, and their saintly hymns of thanksgiving. 

The Communion Office of the Church of England, though 
entitled to this praise, was not, Lowever, so entirely free from 
imperfection, as to leave no room for the retouching of fu- 
ture hands. In the American revisal, some portions are 
omitted, which were of a local or civil nature ; and the 
Prayer of Consecration has been entirely remodelled. In 
the English book this prayer includes only what forms the 
first paragraph in our Office, with the insertion of a few words 
from the Invocation following. " The Oblation and Invoca- 
tion were added, or rather restored, to the Communion Office, 
at the revision of the Liturgy by our General Convention, in the 
year 1789. The Oblation is taken verbatim from the Conse- 
cration Prayer in the first Book of Edward VI., with the addi- 
tion of a single clause from the Scotch Liturgy, " which we 
now offer unto thee," inserted after the words " thy holy 
gifts." This Oblation was dropped in the second Book of 
King Edward, at the instance of Bucer and Martyr, and has 
not since been restored to the English service. The Invo- 
cation is taken in part from the Prayer of Consecration in 
the first Book of Edward, and partly from a Collect, trans- 
ferred to this place from the Post-communion service of the 
present English Book."* 

* Bishop Brownell's Commentary on the Prayer^ook, p, 307. 



COM 149 

The effect of these changes has been to enhance, in no 
shght degree, the beauty and excellence of the Communion 
Office ; a better proof of which need not be given, than in 
frequent admissions to this effect, by writers of the. Church 
of England. 

Respecting kneeling at the communion, See the latter part 
of the article Adoration. 

See also the articles, Alms, Altar, Ante-communion, 
Both kinds. Canon, Carried about. Chalice, Chancel, 
Communion of the Sick, Consubstantiation, Devotions, 
Elevation of the Host, Eulogies, Excommunication, Lin- 
en Cloth, Mass, Oblation, Offertory, Prefaces, Sacri- 
fice, Transubstantiation, and Trisagion. 

Communion of Saints. The Church of Christ being a 
society, the members of which are all " servants of the same 
God, redeemed by the same atoning blood, sanctified by the 
same Spirit, governed by the same laws, partakers of the 
same sacraments, and heirs of the same promises,"* it fol- 
lows, both from the nature of the case, and from the com- 
mand of God, that there should exist not only an outward 
fellowship in the bonds of the Church, and in the enjoyment 
of its privileges ; but also a close and endearing " sympathy 
of souls," — a mutual sharing of joys and sufferings, and a 
feeling of intimate relation among all who belong to the 
household of faith. Between the faithful members of the 
Church, and their Divine Head, there is an undoubted com- 
munion guarantied by the express promises of Scripture. 
Christ and his saints are united in one holy fellowship, as the 
branches are united to the vine ; and in like manner, a sacred 
and inviolable bond of fraternal love, should link together all 
who name the name of Christ, and are heirs of the same 
heavenly inheritance. This, we apprehend, is the purport 
of that article of the Creed, in which we assert our belief in 
"the Communion of Saints." 

♦ Bishop Brownell. 
13* 



150 COMMUNION OF SAINTS. 

But the question may here be asked, " How far does this 
communion extend?" We reply, to the whole state of 
Christ's Church. That it reaches to the remotest bounds of 
the Church on earth, is manifest, and no accidental differ- 
ences of rank, education, wealth, &c., should be permitted 
to rupture the tie of brotherly concord, which is the vital 
principle of our religion, and the crowning grace of the 
Church. But does the fellowship of saints extend no fur- 
ther than this ? Shall we say that there is no spiritual 
union between us and those who have finished their course ? 
Is the communion of saints limited to the borders of this 
lonely planet? Is there no ladder of communication, by 
which (like the angels in the patriarch's dream) we may 
ascend to the regions of triumphant immortality? Is the 
body of Christ divided, and are the conquerors above sepa- 
rated from the valiant soldiers below, by a barrier impene- 
trable to the eye of faith ? Is the silken cord snapped asunder, 
which binds the Church in glory to the Church in probation ? 
No ! but the family of God is one — indivisible — extending 
to both worlds. Death is powerless to separate what God 
has joined together. There is an unbroken connexion exist- 
ing between heaven and earth, in the fact that saints, whether 
in the body or out of the body, are brethren still, and mem- 
bers still, of that sacred communion of which Christ is the 
Head. The fellowship of the children of God, is a fellow- 
ship of souls. Death may triumph over the body, but yet 
. the immortal spirit is secure. And if the dissolution of the 
body produce any change in the relation of the spirits of the 
living to those of the dead, we see not how it can be, but by 
the enlarging and strengthening of former intercourse ; 
otherwise, we are forced to the conclusion that the Apostle 
spoke in parables, when he encouraged the Hebrew and all 
'other Christians, to " run with patience the race that was set 
before them," on the ground that they were " compassed 
about with so great a cloud of witnesses," even the souls of 



COM 151 

the faithful departed. If then there be such a thing as the 
" communion of saints," we find not that it is limited to the 
Church below. 

" Angels, and living saintSj and dead, 

But one communion make ; 
All join in Christ, their vital Head, 

And of his love partake."* 

Communion of the Sick, In this office, we have an ex- 
ample of the benevolent care exhibited by the Church, 
towards her suffering members. " As all mortal men be 
subject to many sudden perils, diseases, and sicknesses, and 
ever uncertain what time they shall depart out of this life,""!" 
the Church has not only provided for their baptism, and for 
the visitations of the pastor, but has authorized and directed 
the administration to them of " the most comfortable Sacra- 
ment of the Body and Blood of Christ." 

Although the Church maintains thai the Eucharist, as a 
general rule, is to be publicly administered in the house of 
God, and has signified her disapproval of solitary commun- 
ion, in all cases; yet when by sickness her members are in- 
capable of presenting themselves at the altar, there is a wise 
and tender relaxation of her usages, corresponding with the 
peculiar necessity of the case. This too " is exactly con- 
formable to the most early practice of the primitive Church ; 
for there is nothing more frequently mentioned by the an- 
cient writers, than the care of the Church to distribute the 
Eucharist to all dying persons that were capable of receiving 
it.":|: " There are many instances," says Palmer, " in anti- 
quity, of the celebration of the Eucharist in private for the 
sick. Thus Paulinus, Bishop of Nola, caused the Eucharist 
to be celebrated in his own chamber, not many hours before 
his death. Gregory Nazianzen informs us, that his father 

* Hymn 26. t Rubric. t Wheatly, 496. 



152 COM 

communicated in his own chamber, and that his sister had 
an altar at home ; and Ambrose is said to have administered 
the sacrament in a private house at Rome. The Church 
is therefore justified in directing the Eucharist to be 
consecrated in private houses, for the benefit of the sick ; and 
she has taken care, in the rubric immediately preceding the 
office, that the sacrament should be decorously and reverently 
administered."* 

By the rubrics it is provided, that on all ordinary occasions 
of " Communion of the Sick," there shall be at the least two 
persons present to participate, besides the priest and the sick 
person. But at times of contagious sickness, &c., where, 
through fear of the infection, these cannot be had, the minis- 
ter is permitted to communicate alone with the diseased. 

In the distribution of the Elements, the rubric orders that 
the sick person shall receive last. This is done " because 
those who communicate with him, through fear of some con- 
tagion, or the noisomeness of his disease, may be afraid to 
drink out of the same cup after him." 

Communion Table. See Altar. 

Concurrence of Holy Days, or Doubles. As many of 
the holy-days of the Church are fixed to certain determinate 
days of the year, and the others, including all the Sundays, 
are continually subject to change their days, it must necessa- 
rily follow that two holy-days will occasionally meet together 
on the same day of the year, and consequently, that for such 
a day there will be two sets of Lessons for Morning and 
Evening Prayer, with two Collects, Epistles, and Gospels. 
These days are technically called " Doubles," " Concurrent 
Holy-days," or " Duplex Festivals." 

A question of some difficulty here occurs, relative to the 
day to be observed, on such an accidental conjunction of 
Sunday with a Saint's day, or of a Saint's day with any other 

* Origines LiturgicsB, I. p. 229. 



CONCURRENCE OF HOLY DAYS. 153 

festival or fast. It is evident that a choice must be made, as 
both services entire cannot be used ; and the making of this 
choice constitutes the difficulty. 

The Church itself has here given no decision, either by 
her Canons, Rubrics, or Customs. In consequence, a variety 
of practice prevails both in the Church of England and that 
of the United States, assuming the following general forms : — 

1. That of preserving the regular Sunday services entire, 
without regard to any other festival, except Christmas, which 
may occur on such Sundays. This practice applies only to 
Sundays, and the holy-days coming into collision with them. 

2. The reverse of this, in the use of the service of the holy- 
day, and the waiving of that for the Sunday, except on Ad- 
vent, Easter, Whitsunday, and Trinity. This, too, only re- 
fers to Sundays, 

3. The mixing of the two services on any such duplex 
festival, by selecting from the Lessons of each, and using 
one or both Collects, and either of the Epistles and Gospels. 

The first of these modes is grounded on the supposition, 
that the ordinary Sunday service is of superior obligation to 
that appointed for the other festivals. But this is very far 
from being the case, inasmuch as hoth services rest simply 
on the appointment of the Church. And that no such supe- 
riority was acknowledged in the Church of England, ap- 
pears from the fact, that in the form there used for the 5th of 
November, (Gunpowder Plot,) the rubric ordains, that " If 
this day shall happen to be Sunday, only the Collect proper 
for that Sunday shall be added to this office in its place." 
Under the same circumstances, the form for " The Restora- 
tion of the Royal Family " is to be used only in part on Whit- 
sunday, attd Trinity. " But if it shall happen to be any other 
Sunday, this whole office shall be used, as it followeth, entire- 
ly.''^ And in the case of the form for the King's Accession, 
it is ordered, tliat " If this day shall happen to be Sunday, this 
ichole office shall be used as it followeth, entirely.^' From 



154 CONCURRENCE OF HOLY DAYS. 

this we argue, that no superior authority was attached to the 
Sunday service ; and that, if it might be set aside for the 
above seini-political festivals, with at least equal reason might 
the same be done in favor of the proper holy-days of the 
Church. 

One of the other expedients mentioned, — that of selecting 
portions of both services, and mixing them together, — is also 
open to objection. The Sunday service, it will be observed, 
is a complete form, and equally so is that for the holy-day. If 
then a portion only of each be used, neither service is performed; 
and more than this, the minister assumes the responsibility 
of compiling a new service, by the mutilation of two already 
set forth by the Church. A further objection to this prac- 
tice, is the irregularity consequent upon it. Every Clergy- 
man would, of course, make his own selection, and by so do- 
ing, the uniformity of the Church services would be broken 
on every such festival, when, of a,ll times, that uniformity 
should be most conspicuous. 

The other practice referred to, of giving the precedence to 
the holy-day, rather than to the Sunday service, on all com- 
mon occasions, seems to be more nearly accordant with the 
design of the Church, and therefore the safest way of resolv- 
ing the difficulty. In this, however, and in what follows, we 
beg to be understood as merely expressing an opinion, such 
as appears to us most reasonable, on a view of the question 
in its various positions. With this understanding, therefore, 
we offer the following observations : — 

There are four Sundays, the services of which claim pre- 
cedence of all other holy-days which may happen at the same 
time. These are. Advent, Easter, Whitsunday, and Trinity. 
On all other Sundays, in cases of concurrence, the festival 
should take precedence of the Sunday service. 

On week days, Christmas, Ash- Wednesday, Good Friday, 
Ascension, and ^perhaps also Epiphany and Passion-week, 



CON 155 

should be observed in preference to all other holy-days coin- 
ciding with them. 

In all other supposable cases of doubles on week days, 
there seems to be no other alternative, (till the proper au- 
thorities decide,) than to estimate the relative importance of 
the two festivals thus coming together. As a general rule, 
the festivals of our Lord have precedence ; hence, should St. 
Mark's day fall on Easter Monday or Tuesday ; or that of 
St. Barnabas on Monday or Tuesday in Whitsun-week, they 
should give place to those days connected with the history of 
our Lord ; for " in these cases," says a writer, " it appears 
to me that it is the evident intention of the Church, in the 
first instance, to call our attention to the history of the Pas- 
sion, and in the otJier to the Resurrection and Descent of the 
Spirit, and therefore the saint's day ought to give way."* 
The same reasoning will apply to the case of the Annuncia- 
tion happening in Passion week ; in which case, there being 
a concurrence of two days commemorative of our Lord, it 
would seem that the claims of the solemn season of Passion 
week should have the precedence, and remain uninter- 
rupted. 

CoNDiGNiTY, and CoNGRUiTY. Terms used by the School- 
men, to express their peculiar opinions relative to human 
merit and deserving. 

" The Scotists maintain that it is possible for man in his 
natural state so to live as to deserve the grace of God, by 
which he may be enabled to obtain salvation ; this natural 
fitness (congruitas,) for grace, being such as to oblige the 
Deity to grant it. Such is the merit of congruity." 

" The ThomistSf on the other hand, contend that man, by 
the Divine assistance, is capable of so living as to merit eter- 
nal life, to be ivorthy (condignus) of it in the sight of God. 
In this hypothesis, the question of previous preparation for 

* British Magazine, 1837, p. 45. 



156 CON 

the grace which enables him to be worthy , is not introduced. 
This is the merit of condignity.^'* 

Confession. 1st. The penitent acknowledgment of sins 
before God. 2d. The particular forms in the Liturgy, in 
which this act is made. 3d. The public ratification, on the 
part of candidates for Confirmation, of the obligations as- 
sumed for them in baptism. See the Preface in the Order of 
Confirmation. 4th. A public declaration of faith, &c., as 
the Augsburg, Westminster, and other "Confessions." 

The penitential Confession, at the opening of our Liturgy, 
has justly been considered as one of the most adinirable por- 
tions of the Church service. Its position is at the beginning 
of our acts of worship, because repentance and its evidence in 
an humble confession, are indispensable in approaching God's 
infinite Majesty. The language too, is in unison with the 
object of this form, simple, grave, and reverential. The scope 
is such as to meet every variety of circumstances in the 
worshipper. It does not descend to minute particulars, be- 
cause this would be unsuitable to a mixed congregation. Yet 
it is really so particular, that it comprehends sins of every 
possible character. Had it been extended so as to embrace 
a distinct specification of sins, in all their number and mi- 
nuteness of distinction, a volume would have been necessary 
for the purpose, nay, a hundred volumes would not have ex- 
hausted the catalogue. And more than this, the greater 
part of the congregation would be called to confess sins, of 
which they had no consciousness of being guilty. The con- 
fession then, is sufficiently particular. It gives room, under 
distinct heads, for every man to confess " the plague of his 
own heart ;" and whatever may be our spiritual infirmities, we 
can, with little mental effort, arrange them under some head 
of the confession ; and thus, by stating audibly the class of 



* Professor Whittingham, in Jewell's Apology, p. 8. 



CON 157 

the offence, we can in our own minds, bring up all the par- 
ticular sins embraced by it, of which we feel ourselves 
guilty. 

Confessional. An enclosed seat, recess, or small apart- 
ment in a Romish Church, where penitents make confession 
to a priest. 

Confessor. This title was given in the early Church to 
those who, by the confession of a true faith, were called to 
endure persecution, without actually suffering death. This 
constitutes the distinction between confessors and martyrs. 

In another sense, the term applies to priests in the Romish 
and other Churches, who receive the confessions of penitents. 

Confirm. To establish, strengthen, and invigorate, as in 
the hynm, " Veni, Creator Spiritus," 

" Our weakness strengthen and conJirmJ'** 

Also in the second absolution form, " confirm and strengthen 
you in all goodness," &c. 

Confirmation. The Christian Church, with her sacra- 
ments and ordinances, stands upon the foundation of the 
Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief 
corner-stone. Upon this ground we place the rite of con- 
firmation. 

In many things under the gospel, the pattern of the pre- 
ceding dispensation was followed. Thus, baptism succeeded 
in the place of circumcision, and the Lord's Supper in that 
of the Passover. The Jews had their temple and syn- 
agogues ; we have our Churches for the worship of the same 
Divine Being. Their services consisted of praise, the read- 
ing of the scriptures, and the use of prescribed forms of 
prayer ; the same thing prevails with us. They had a min- 
istry in three orders ; so have we. But we follow these, not 



* Form for *' The Ordering of Priests." 
14 



158 CONFmMATION. 

because they were existent in the Jewish Church, but because 
they were re-enacted, or at least sanctioned by the founders 
of the Christian Church. If the prototypes of baptism and 
the Lord's Supper were seen in the Jewish Church, there 
also we find a rite analogous to Confirmation. We are told • 
by historians, that at the age of thirteen, the children were 
" publicly examined before the congregation, in order to re- 
new the covenant which their parents had made for them in 
their infancy, and to take upon themselves their obligations 
to the divine law." 

That Confirmation was practised by the Apostles, and 
familiarly spoken of in their writings, can scarcely be doubted 
by the diligent reader of the New Testament. Let attention 
be turned, for example, to the planting of the Church in Sa- 
maria. Philip the Deacon goes down to that city, and de- 
clares to the inhabitants, Christ and the resurrection. The 
people are struck with the pov/er of his doctrine, and amazed 
at his miracles. They profess their belief in Jesus, and both 
men and women are baptized in his name, and there is great 
joy throughout that city. But the Apostles, who were at 
Jerusalem, learn that Samaria has received the word of God, 
Upon this information, Peter and John are sent down to them, 
that by the imposition of their hands, the baptized might re- 
ceive the Holy Ghost, " for as yet he was fallen upon none 
of them, only they were baptized in the name of the Lord 
Jesus. Then laid they their hands on them, and they received 
the Holy Ghost."* It appears then, that though the Sama- 
ritans were converted and baptized by Philip the Deacon, 
yet there remained " something for their furtherance in the 
faith, which Philip, though a Minister of Christ, and clothed 
with miraculous power, could not confer upon them."-|- 
From this fact, then, we learn two things ; 1st. That it was 



♦ Acts, viii. 17. t Bishop Ravenscroft. 



CONFIRMATION. 159 

necessary for these converts to receive " the laying on of 
hands." 2d. That this could only be performed by the 
Apostles : and therefore among us, in like manner, it is only 
administered by the Bishops, who are the direct successors 
of the Apostles. The objection that this was done to confer 
miraculous power, we shall consider presently. 

Again, we find a case in the 19th Chapter of the Acts, 
in which this ordinance was administered by St. Paul. The 
Apostle is at Ephesus, and finds some disciples of John the 
Baptist. Paul baptizes them in the name of the Lord Jesus, 
and subsequently lays his hands on them, and they receive 
the Holy Ghost, and speak with tongues, and prophesy. The 
same Apostle designates the laying on of hands as one of the 
first principles of the doctrine of Christ, and ranks it with 
repentance, faith, baptism, the resurrection, and eternal 
judgment. If then these fundamental points are binding on 
Christians, confirmation must be so, being one of them. And 
if it were not of divine appointment, it would seem that Paul 
was guilty of " teaching for doctrines the commandments of 
men," which is not to be imagined. In other places of the 
New Testament, hints respecting this rite are found. " Thus 
Paul supposes both the Corinthians and Ephesians to have 
been all partakers of this holy rite, and plainly intimates, 
that the happy effects of it were, being * established in Christ,* 
being < anointed and sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,' 
and having * an earnest of the Spirit in their hearts.' And 
that all these expressions refer to Confirmation is evident, as 
well from compaidng them together, as from the concurrent 
testimonies of several ancient fathers."* 

To this evidence from Scripture, may be added the prac» 
tice of the Church, from the Apostles' days down to the time 
of the Reformation, a period of 1500 years, during which it 
appears that Confirmation was universally practised. The 

* Wheatly. 



160 CONFIRMATION. 

consent of the whole Christian world for so long a period, is 
enough to satisfy any reasonable mind, when taken in con- 
nexion with even the slightest hints in Scripture. It is on 
this ground that we receive the holy Scriptures as divine ; 
for Scripture, of course, cannot prove its own inspiration : 
of this, we must have external evidence, and that evidence is 
undoubtedly the unanimous testimony of the Church. By 
the same means we know that the Sabbath was translated to 
the first day of the week ; — that infants were baptized ; — 
that females were admitted to the Lord's Supper ; and many 
other things of importance, concerning which there is no 
scriptural command, and independently of the testimony of 
the Church, we should be left to the vagueness of mere in- 
ference and conjecture. In respect then to Confirmation, 
we have, as above stated, the testimony and practice of the 
whole Church for about 1500 years, and that of perhaps nine 
tenths of Christendom for 300 years more. But if it be 
thought that this rite is merely a device which sprung up in 
the corrupt ages of the Church, and therefore can be of no 
obligation now ; let the ancient fathers reply, who lived soon 
after the Apostles' days. Imagine that there should rise 
from the grave, and stand before us, a minister of Christ, 
who had flourished within 80 years of the Apostle John, 
How earnestly should we inquire of him respecting the doc- 
trines and customs of the Church in his day, and how valua- 
ble should we esteem any information he might communicate ! 
We should be conversing with one who was doubtless fami- 
liar with many who had heard the Apostles preach, and 
could remember their admonitions, their piety, and their zeal. 
Now just such an one was Tertullian, whose writings are 
still in existence. And thus he speaks of Confirmation : 
" After baptism, is the laying on of hands, by blessing and 
prayer inviting the Holy Spirit, who graciously descends 
from the Father, upon the bodies cleansed and blessed by 
baptism." Imagine another, a Bishop of the Church, who 



CONFIRMATION. 161 

lived only 50 years later, and was eminent for his learning 
and piety. Such an one was St. Cyprian ; and he says, in 
relation to the confirmation of the Samaritans by Peter and 
John, " The same thing is done among us. They who are 
baptized are brought to the rulers of the Church, that by our 
prayer, and the laying on of our hands, they may obtain the 
Holy Ghost, and be perfected with the seal of the Lord." 
Let us summon one more witness. This shall be St. Je- 
rome, who lived about 250 or 300 years after the time of St. 
John, and who says, " As for those who are baptized afar off 
in the lesser towns by the Presbyters and Deacons, the 
Bishop travels out to them, to lay hands upon them, and to 
invoke the Holy Spirit." Can we imagine any words which 
more accurately describe the visitation of one of our modern 
Bishops ? And yet, these words were penned more than 140Q 
years ago, and when the Church was in a state of purity to 
which we might look with some respect. From the Apostles' 
days, therefore, the rite of confirmation has been uniformly 
practised in the Church, for all ecclesiastical history declares 
it ; and inasmuch as it was an apostolical institution, it is not 
a matter which may be lightly rejected. 

At the time of the Reformation this rite was purged from 
certain corruptions which had gathered around it, and was 
then retained by the Church of England. It was also re- 
tained by almost all the Lutheran Churches, notwithstanding 
that they rejected Episcopacy, and is still in use in those 
Churches. It was granted also by many eminent Presbyte- 
rians, to be of Apostolical authority. Such was the opinion 
of John Calvin himself, and of Beza his colleague. Dr. 
Owen also approved of Confirmation, and " acknowledged 
that it existed in the Apostolical Churches ;" and in many of 
the Presbyterian societies of Europe and America, a strong 
feeling has been manifested in favor of this rite. 

But it is objected, that by the laying on of the hands of 
the Apostles, the power of working miracles was bestowed ; 
14* 



162 CONFIRMATION. 

and that this was wjiat is meant by conferring the Holy 
Ghost ; whereas we can pretend to no such power ; — ergo, 
the rite of confirmation is a mere form. In reply to this it 
is sufficient to say, that the gifts of the Spirit are various, 
and the power of working miracles is but one of those gifts. 
The Apostles did not confer this power on all who received 
confirmation. The laying on of hands was used in their ordu 
nations ; but several were ordained who do not appear to 
have had the gift of miracles. It appears that on some were 
poured out the ordinary, and on others the ea?^ra-ordinary 
gifts of the Spirit, and all by the imposition of hands. The 
latter of these ceased after the Apostolic age, but the former 
are vouchsafed to the Church till the end of time. 

To those who are disposed to undervalue the rite of con- 
firmation, or to neglect it altogether, we have this much to 
say, viz., that before they can overthrow the obligation of 
this ordinance, they must prove that Peter, and John, and 
Paul, knew less of the mind of Christ, than they do them- 
selves. That though inspired men established this rite in 
the Church, yet they may freely receive or decline it. That 
though it repeatedly appears on the page of the New Testa- 
ment, yet every such notice of it shall be to them a blank. 
That the Ministers of the primitive Church (who universally 
practised confirmation) were in a great error, though taught 
and ordained by the Apostles. And that the laity, whose 
parents, at least, had heard the gospel preached by inspired 
men, were under the full influence of the same mistake. 
And, to crown this catalogue of absurdities, they must ac- 
knowledge that from the day of Christ down to the present 
time, though this rite has universally prevailed in Apostolical 
Churches, yet it is entirely without foundation ; and though 
millions of holy men have received it as originating with the 
Apostles and Christ their Master, yet they were all deluded, 
and submitted to a mere invention of man. If our proofs are 
worth any thing, the objector must be brought to this perilous 



CON 163 

dilemma. On which side lie truth and safety, let conscience 
decide. 

"Confounded." Put to confusion by a sense of sin, or 
under the punisliment due to it. The word is of frequent 
occurrence in the Psalter, and is also found in the last verse 
of the Te Deum. The following instance of a similar use of 
the term, is from Latimer. " What, quoth Cain, am I set to 
keep my brother ? I cannot tell where he is. But at last he 
was confounded, and his murder brought to light."* 

Congregation. . An assembly or body of people. The 
term is applied, 1st, to the universal Church of Christ, as in 
the 19th article, " The visible Church of Christ is a. Congre- 
gation of faithful men," &;c. 2d. To the persons present on 
occasions of public worship. 3d. To the persons composing 
the actual charge of a Minister, and who are members of an 
individual corporation or organization, as in the Office of 
Institution of Ministers. 

CONGRUITY. See CONDIGNITY. 

Consecration. A solemn act of dedication to a divine 
service and use. 

From this general sense, the word is employed to desig- 
nate : — 1. The devotion of any object to a sacred use ; as in 
the consecration of wealth, talents, influence, &c., to the cause 
of religon. 

2. The investing of any worthy object with peculiar vene- 
ration and respect. 

3. The dedication ot Churches and other places, by the 
Bishop, to the service of the Most High, by separating them 
" from all unhallowed, ordinary, and common uses," and de- 
claring them to be henceforth sacred to Him whose name, 
presence, and blessing, we invoke. 

4. The act of conferring the office of a Bishop. The term 

* Sermon on Covelousness. 



164 CON 

is here used in the sense of ordaining, with which it was an- 
ciently synonymous. 

5. The solemn act of blessing, and invoking the divine 
presence on the elements, in the Eucharist. This is per- 
formed by the Bishop or Priest, in that part of the Commu- 
nion office called the " Prayer of Consecration." 

In the Consecration of Bishops, though the act itself is 
really performed by one Bishop ; yet, in accordance with the 
customs of the ancient Church, two others are required to be 
associated with him as assistants. The first Apostolic 
Canon provides, that a Bishop shall be ordained by two or 
three Bishops. This was, however, simply a measure of 
security on the part of the Church ; and hence, a consecra- 
tion by a single Bishop would be valid, though not canonical, 
" Lest," says a writer, " by any extraordinary casualty, some 
one Bishop should surreptitiously intrude himself into the 
office, the Church has taken care, that his irregularity should 
not descend to those at whose ordination he concurred, by 
requiring, that no Bishop should be ordained, except in case 
of necessity, but by three, or two at the least ; that so, if it 
should chance that one of them was not canonically ordained, 
yet still there might be two, or at least one, against whom 
there could lie no exceptions ; and if but one of the ordain- 
ers were really a Bishop, I see no reason to doubt, but that 
the ordained was so too."— ^^ There is no necessity, ex- 
cept what proceeds from Canon law, for above one ; for 'tis 
evident that one Apostle might, and did ordain a Bishop ; as 
for instance, St. John ordained Euodius and Ignatius ; St. 
Paul, Clement ; and by parity of reason, one of their succes- 
sors might do the same."* 

" Consented together in Holy Wedlock." See the Of- 
fice for Matrimony. Reference is here made not only in 
general to that mutual consent which lies at the foundation of 

* Johnson on the Canonical Codes. 



CON 165 

marriage, but also to a former part of the service, in which 
this consent was publicly declared : — " Wilt thou have this 
woman ?" &;c. 

CoNSTANTiNOPOLiTAN Creed. See Creed, Nicene. 

" Constantly believe." The word " constantly " as here 
used, not only means always, or through the entire life, but 
firmly, sincerely, and with full purpose of heart ; i. e. with 
constancy. 

Constitution. A body of gefleral principles, set forth in 
each Diocese, as the ground- work of its organization and legis- 
lation ; and also by the General Convention, with the same ob- 
jects in reference to the Church at large in the United States. 

CoNSUBSTANTiAL. Of the same substance or essence. 
The term is used in theological writings, to express that 
oneness and sameness of substance which belongs to the 
Father and the Son, In the Scriptures, the word does not 
occur, though the truth which it covers most certainly does. 
Its introduction into the language of the Church, may be dated 
from the Council of Nice, A. D. 325, at which time, through 
the spread of Arianism, it became necessary to guard the 
orthodox faith by more strict terms than those of the Apos- 
tles' Creed. Hence the rise of what is called the Nicene 
Creed, in which we find the phrase " of one substance [con- 
substantial] with the Father ;" — a definition respecting the 
Son of God, which the heterodox Arians would not brook, in- 
asmuch as it asserted in the most unequivocal manner the 
Supreme Deity of Christ, a revealed truth which, under shel- 
ter of less decisive terms, they had before this managed to 
evade. 

Con SUBSTANTIATION. The opinion of the Lutheran Church, 
that in the Eucharist, the body and blood of Christ are actu- 
ally present, together with the substance of the bread and 
wine. The difference between this, and the views of the 
Church of Rome, may be seen by comparing the opinion 
here expressed with tran substantiation. 



166 CON 

"Consummation, perfect,^^ The full completion, end, or 
accomplishment of any event or thing. The expression oc- 
curs in one of the prayers near the end of the Burial service, 
thus : — " that we, with all those who are departed in the true 
faith of thy holy name, may have our perfect consummation 
and bliss, both in soul and body, in thy eternal and everlast- 
ing glory." The allusion is, obviously, to the doctrine of an 
intermediate state, in which the souls of the righteous, being 
separated from the body, do not, and indeed cannot, enjoy 
that fulness of bliss which will be the reward of the faithful 
after the resurrection, when the spiritual body, purified from 
all corruption, and endowed with immortality, will share in 
the fruition of endless bliss. The attainment of this perfect 
consummation of happiness, by the united enjoyments of the 
soul and the glorified body, is doubtless a legitimate object of 
prayer, and one which must nerve the Christian with strong 
and sublime anticipations of the glory " hereafter to be re- 
vealed," when we and all who have served God faithfully, 
shall be exalted to that state where " there shall be no more 
death." 

Convention. A Council or Synod of the Church, assem- 
bled for the transaction of ecclesiastical business, and consist- 
ing of delegates from both Clergy and Laity. 

Of these, there are in the American Church ; — 

1. The General Convention, which meets once in three 
years, " in such place as shall be determined by the Conven- 
tion." In this Convention are ordinarily two houses, viz : — 
the House of Bishops, which, " when there are three or more, 
shall ******** form a separate 
house, with a right to originate and propose acts," &c. 
But in case of there not being three or more Bishops, 
" any Bishop attending a General Convention shall be a 
member ex officio, and shall vote with the clerical deputies of 
the state to which he belongs." The other house is that of 
Clerical and Lay Deputies, consisting of a representation *^^ 



COS 167 

Clergy and Laity, not to exceed four of each for a Diocese, 
chosen by the Convention of the Diocese they represent. 

Before proceeding to business, it is necessary that the 
Church shall be represented by a majority of the states which 
have adopted the General Constitution of the Church. 

A Special General Convention may be called on urgent 
occasion, by the presiding Bishop, " provided that the sum- 
mons shall be with the consent or on the requisition of a ma- 
jority of the Bishops, expressed to him in writing."* 

2. Diocesan Conventions. These meet annually in each 
Diocese, on business pertaining to their respective Dioceses 
alone, unless in cases where, by the General Convention, 
their separate action is required on some point of wider in- 
terest. 

A Diocesan Convention consists of the Bishop, with his 
Clergy, and a lay representation from each parish in union 
with the Convention. The qualifications required to en- 
title to a seat and vote in these Conventions, are regu- 
lated by the Canons of the various Dioceses, and differ ac- 
cording to the circumstances and usages of the Diocese 
enacting them. 

Special Diocesan Conventions may be held on the 
summons of the Bishop, and in conformity with the local 
Canons. 

Conversation. Used in the Prayer-book, and also in the 
Bible, not for talk and familiar discourse, &c., but for the 
general mode and habit of life. In the forms for the Order- 
ing of Deacons and Priests, the word occurs with this broader 
signification, thus : " Take heed that the persons whom ye 
present unto us, be apt and meet for their learning and godly 
conversation, to exercise their Ministry," &c. It will hardly 
be supposed that by the words ^^ godly conversation,''^ the 
Church here means a facility in discoursing on religious sub- 

* General Canon, XLIX. 



168 CON 

jects ; for though a certain fluency of utterance is no de- 
spisable thing, yet it is, at the same time, no trustworthy argu- 
ment either of piety or uncommon inteUigence, being, like 
the rain, a gift that falleth on both the evil and the good. 
The phrase evidently refers not to this, but to that " godly, 
righteous, and sober life," in all its acts and aims, to which 
all the disciples of Christ should aspire, and more especially 
those who in the Ministry are to be living witnesses of the 
truth, " known and read of all men." 

Conversion of St. Paul. A holy-day is set apart by 
the Church for the celebration of this event. 

St. Paul is not commemorated, as the other Apostles are, 
by his death or martyrdom, but by his conversion, which was 
wonderful in itself, and highly beneficial to the Church of 
Christ. For w^hilst the other Apostles had their particular 
provinces, he had the care of all the Churches, and by his 
indefatigable labors contributed very much to the propaga- 
tion of the Gospel throughout the world. 

Convocation. In the Church of England, " an assembly 
of the representatives of the Clergy, to consult of ecclesias- 
tical matters in time of parliament ; and summoned by each 
Archbishop in his peculiar province, in consequence of a writ 
directed to him by the king before the meeting of every new 
parliament. It consists of two houses, the higher or upper 
house, where the Archbishops and all the Bishops sit sever- 
ally by themselves ; and the other, the lower house of con- 
vocation, where all the rest of the clergy sit, i. e., all deans 
and archdeacons, one proctor for each chapter, and two proc- 
tors for all the parochial clergy of each diocese, making in 
tiie whole number 166 persons ; but on account of the small 
number of dioceses in the province of York, each archdea- 
conry elects two proctors. In York, the convocation con- 
sists only of one house ; but in Canterbury there are two 
houses, of which the 22 Bishops form the upper house ; and 
before the Reformation, abbots, priors, and other mitred pre- 



COR 169 

lates sat with the Bishops. The lower house of convocation 
in the province of Canterbury, consists of 144 members, viz., 
22 deans, 53 archdeacons, 24 proctors for the chapters, and 
44 proctors for the parochial clergy." 

" The Archbishop of Canterbury is the president of the 
convocation, and prorogues and dissolves it by mandate from 
the king."* 

The term " Convocation " is applied, in several Dioceses 
of the United States, to certain monthly or other periodical 
meetings of the Clergy, for the purpose of mutual conference, 
the holding of public services, and the devising and execution 
of plans for the extension of the Church. The organized 
body formed by these Clergy, is known by the same name. 

Corpus Christi. The body of Christ. In the Church 
of Rome, an annual festival, with this name, is observed on 
the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. Its design is to com- 
memorate the corporal presence of Christ in the Holy Eu- 
charist. Dr. Webster has fallen into an error in defining 
this to be " a festival of the Church of England * * * in 
honor of the Eucharist." The Church of England has no 
such festival, having abrogated it at- the Reformation. 

" Corrupt following." In the 25th Article of Religion it 
is said, that " Those five commonly called Sacraments, that is 
to say. Confirmation, Penance, Orders, Matrimony, and Ex- 
treme Unction, are not to be counted for sacramc its of the 
Gospel, being such as have grown partly of the corrupt foU 
lowing of the Apostles, partly are states of life allowed by the 
Scriptures," &c. From this, an objection has sometimes 
been made against the rite of Confirmation, as having arisen 
from " the corrupt following of the Apostles," and thus it is 
concluded that if the Church had correctly and wisely fol- 



* Laws relating to the Clergy. 
15 



170 coir 

lowed their example, Confirmation'Xvould not have been prac- 
tised and held in its present estimation. 

The answer to the objection is this. The Article referred 
to is on the " Sacraments,''^ and it declares that these are two 
in number, viz., " Baptism, and the Supper of the Lord." But 
inasmuch as the Romanists hold that there are five others, 
viz., Confirmation, Penance, Orders, &c., the Article goes on 
to say, that " these are not to be counted for Sacraments of 
the Gospel." And, having stated this, the next point was to 
show how they came to be regarded as Sacraments in the 
Romish Church, viz., " partly of the corrupt following of the 
Apostles, partly are states of life allowed by the Scriptures," 
that is, part of them, as Confirmation, Penance, and Extreme 
Unction, have been exalted to the rank of Sacraments by the 
Romanists, through their mistaken imitation of the Apostles, 
who never counted them as Sacraments ; and the other part of 
them, viz.. Orders and Matrimony, are " states of life allowed 
by the Scriptures, but yet have not like nature of Sacraments 
with baptism and the Lord's Supper, for that they have not 
any visible sign or ceremony ordained of God." 

From this it will appear that the Article does not assert 
that Confirmation came through the " corrupt following" of the 
Apostles ; but that by these means the Romanists came to 
hold it as a Sacrament, which it is not. The whole matter 
may be thus stated. The Episcopal Church, by the right 
following of the Apostles, holds confirmation to be an Apos- 
tolical ordinance. But the Romanists, by the corrupt follow- 
ing of the Apostles, regard confirmation as a Sacrament. 

Council. The Councils of the ancient Church were as- 
semblies of Bishops, called together at stated times or on 
occasions of emergency, to secure, by their decisions, the in^ 
tegrity of Christian doctrine, — to frame Canons for the go- 
vernment of the Church, — to settle controversies and heal 
disorders, — and to deliberate on all questions in which the 
interests of the Church were concerned. 



COUNCIL. 171 

These Councils, though formed of Bishops, did not exclude 
the inferior orders of the Clergy, nor refuse their advice and 
co-operation on disputed questions. On some occasions the 
same privilege was also allowed to the more distinguished 
members of the laity. 

Councils are usually considered as General or Provincial. 
A General Council, to which the name of (Ecumenical is also 
applied, consisted of a representation by Bishops, from the 
Churches in every part of the world, and their acts were re- 
ceived as authoritative by the universal Church. These 
were of rather infrequent occurrence, and formed the most 
august and solemn tribunal of the Church. 

The Provincial Councils were composed of the Bishops 
of a province or other local division of the Church. By the 
Canons these were required to assemble at least twice every 
year. Their acts had force only in the district represented 
by the Council. 

To the decisions of the first four General Councils, respect 
has always been shown by the Protestant Episcopal Church. 
These were, 1. The Council of Nice, assembled A. D. 325. 
2. The Council of Constantinople, A. D. 381. 3. That of 
Ephesus, A. D. 431. And 4. That of Chalcedon, A. D. 451. 
The leading decisions of all these, were directed against 
the errors on the doctrine of the Trinity, advanced by the 
Arians, the Macedonians, the Nestorians, and the Euty- 
chians. 

The twenty-first of the thirty-nine Articles, is on " The 
Authority of General Councils." Its omission in the Amer- 
ican Prayer-book was grounded on the two-fold objection, 
1st, that its provisions were useless to a Church not in con- 
nection with the civil government ; and 2d, that every thing 
in it of any value to us, is stated in nearly the same words 
in Article VI. 

In the Church in the United States, the term " Council " is 



172 CRE 

used in reference to a General or Diocesan Convention, as in 
the " Prayer for Conventions," &c. 

Creed. From Credo, I believe. A concise summary 
of scripture doctrine, set forth under the authority of the 
Church. 

The necessity and use of Creeds arises from the fact, that 
while our rule of faith is Holy Scripture, revelation does not 
eome to us in the form of a methodical and distinctly arranged 
body of divinity. The Bible nowhere professes to be a book 
regularly laid out, in which different points of doctrine are 
discussed in separate chapters and treatises ; but we find it 
composed of writings in which all the points of our faith are 
mingled together, and regarded as established facts, without 
the parade of constant argument and logical analysis. That 
there are some exceptions to this, is not to be denied ; the 
Epistle to the Romans, for example, being in the main, a dis- 
course on justification by faith ; and part of the Epistle to 
the Hebrews, being a defence of the Divinity of Jesus Christ. 
But as a general rule, the Bible is not a systematic work. 
While the doctrines of the Gospel are all included in it, they 
are blended together, or scattered at large over the whole 
volume. Hence it has always been thought expedient to 
draw out these various doctrines, and arrange them in a short 
and luminous catalogue, that every one may see, at a glance, 
what is taught as certain truth, to be believed and acted upon 
by the disciples of Christ. 

The inquiry is sometimes made, why we attach any 
real importance to a Creed, if we believe the Bible to be our 
rule of faith ? Why not declare simply, that the doctrines 
we hold are those of the Scriptures^ rather than appeal to the 
Apostles' or any other Creed ? The answer brings us to 
another use of Creeds, and is this. All men will not interpret 
Scripture rightly, and thus the truth must suffer, unless some 
guide or check be provided. The mere declaration of our 
belief in the Bible, conveys no definite impression of our 



CRE 173 

views. Take, for example, an Episcopalian, a Presbyterian, 
a Baptist, and a Unitarian, and ask them, what is their rule of 
faith ? They will all refer to the Bible ; and yet how variant 
are their doctrinal views ! The first three contend, that 
Jesus Christ is God, of the same essence with the Father ; 
while, on the contrary, the Unitarian asserts that he is only 
man. The Churchman reads in the Bible that Christ died 
for the sins of the whole world, and that God would have all 
men come to the knowledge of the truth, and be saved. But 
the Presbyterian (if he believe the Westminster Confession,) 
is of another opinion, holding that God, without any foresight 
of faith and good works, has elected a certain number to 
eternal life, and abandoned the rest to sure and everlasting ruin. 
Now all these claim the Bible as the proof of their doctrines ; 
but they differ in their interpretation of it. The Creed there- 
fore, being a representation of the doctrines of Christianity, 
as believed and held in the earliest ages of the Church, when 
the truth, as taught by the Apostles, was fresh and bright in 
the minds of all men, is of incalculable service in the pre- 
servation of sound views of the Gospel — such views as will 
stand the test of the judgment day. 

To Creeds of modern invention, we attach no kind of im- 
portance, because they are not tests of the primitive faith. 
But the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds, being declarations 
sanctioned by the consent of the universal Church, and ever 
held in esteem as the safeguards of truth, we continue reve- 
rently to receive ; not exalting them to the place of Scripture, 
but venerating them as authoritative statements of the true 
meaning of Scripture. See Church. 

Creed, Apostles'. The Apostles' Creed is a summary of 
Christian doctrine, which has been received by tlie Church 
universal, from the earliest ages. The title has been variously 
accounted for. There is an ancient tradition that this Creed 
was actually framed by the Apostles, each furnishing an ar^ 
tide, until the whole was completed. But this is for the most 
15* 



174 CKEED, APOSTLES\ 

part regarded as a fable ; and probably took its rise from the 
name of Symbolum or Symbol, sometimes given tO this 
Creed, a name derived from a Greek v^^ord, signifying a throw- 
ing or casting together. It is more likely that this Creed is 
so called, from its consisting of doctrines taught by the 
Apostles, though the exact words may not be retained. 
It vs^as customary among the early Christians to make a free 
use of the title " Apostolic." Thus, any Church in which an 
Apostle had personally taught, especially if he had ministered 
there for any considerable time, was denominated an Apos- 
tolic Church. For example, the Churches of Jerusalem, 
Corinth, Ephesus, Antioch, and Rome, were all called 
Apostolic Churches. In the course of years, the Bishops, 
with their Sees, and the Christian faith, obtained the same 
appellation, and eventually this was given to the Creed itself. 

We have strong reason for believing that in the very 
earliest days of the Church, the Apostles' Creed was in use ; 
for Irenseus, who was taught by Polycarp, a disciple of St. 
John, gives a creed similar to this, and says that " the Church 
dispersed throughout the whole world, had received this faith 
from the Apostles and their disciples." Tertuilian also, who 
lived about a hundred years after the Apostles, gives a creed 
of the same character, and says that it had been in use " as 
a rule of faith in the Church, from the beginning of the 
Gospel." 

Originally, the Creed had fewer articles than at present ; 
for in the copies as given by these writers, the descent into 
hell, the communion of saints, and the life everlasting, are 
not included. These were points, however, fully believed by 
the early Christians, but were not embodied in the Creed 
until the third or fourth century, when this became necessary, 
to counteract some doctrinal errors, which at that time dis- 
turbed the peace of the Church. The whole Creed is 
found in the works of St. Ambrose^ who flourished A. D. 
374, and in the works of other writers of the same age. 



CEE 175 

It deserves remark, that at the period of the Reformation, 
all the reformed Churches retained the Creed, and several of 
them incorporated it into their liturgies. In the Church of 
England it was made a part of the public service, as it had 
been for many ages before. When the book of Common 
Prayer underwent a revision in the American Church, the 
Apostles' Creed was retained, and we recite it on occasions 
of public worship, thus declaring our faith in the very words 
which have dwelt on the lips of the earliest disciples of the 
Redeemer. 

Apart from its use as a standard of orthodoxy, the Creed 
may be viewed as a fountain of warm devotional feeling. In 
the words of one who well knew its value, " It is the watch- 
word of Christian soldiers — the cheering exclamation of the 
Christian army, transmitted from rank to rank, from the fel- 
lowship of the Apostles, and army of martyrs, down to our 
time. It has animated the whole Christian host ; and if we 
yield to the holy sympathetic feeling, we surely must catch a 
portion of their devout zeal, as we repeat this symbol of the 
truth. It is the Gospel in epitome ; and though it will not 
suffice without the Gospel in detail, yet it cannot but bring 
to our grateful recollection, the great doctrines which we 
love — in which we now walk — in which we hope to die." 

" On every account, therefore, we should prize this sum- 
mary of our faith ; — not with superstitious veneration for it, 
merely because it is ancient — but with great deference, be- 
cause though ancient, its authority is not shaken by all the 
inquiries of after ages. We should prize it, because, instead 
of being the cant language of a sect, it is the mighty asser- 
tion of the faith of the Church Catholic. '\Ve should prize 
it as the grandest offering of praise uttered by the faithful ; — 
for a confession of the whole Gospel is, in this act, sent up 
as incense to the Eternal Jehovah, Three in One." 

Creed, Athanasian. A Creed of very considerable an- 
tiquity, still retained in the Prayer-book of the Church of 



176 CRE 

England, and appointed to be used on certain Sundays and 
other holy-days. 

Its name is derived from St. Atlianasius ; but that it was 
actually written by him, is far from being either certain or 
probable. By Dr. Waterland its composition is referred to 
Hilary, Archbishop of Aries, who flourished about A. D. 430. 
The same author remarks, " that we cannot assign a later 
period than the year 880 for the introduction of this creed 
into the office of prime by the English Churches ; but we 
have no reason to think that it may not have been used long 
before that date. It is not found in MS. Psalters of the 
7th and 8th centuries."* 

The Athanasian Creed consists of a summary of the Ca- 
tholic faith, expressed in terms exceedingly strong and pre- 
cise. Much the larger part is occupied with an elaborate 
statement of the doctrine of the Trinity, with particular 
reference to the Divinity and Personality of the Son and 
Holy Ghost. The whole begins and closes with declarations 
in nearly the same terms, that " this is the Catholic Faith ; 
which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be saved." 

The strong language of this Creed, with its repeated de- 
nunciations, though vindicated and explained by the English 
ritualists, procured its rejection from the American Prayer, 
book, by the General Convention of 1789. The proceedings 
in relation to it, may be seen in Bishop White's Memoirs of 
the Church. 

CONSTANTINOPOLITAN CrEED. See CrEED, NiCENE. 

Creed, Nicene. Sometimes called the Constantinopolitan 
Creed. " This creed was chiefly composed by the orthodox 
Fathers of the first general council of Nice, A. D. 325, to 
define the Christian faith, in opposition to the heresy of Arius. 
As sanctioned by this assembly, it ended with " I believe in 
the Holy Ghost ;" the remainder was added by the second 

* Quoted by Palmer in Origines Liturgicae, I. p. 234. 



CRO 177 

general council, held at Constantinople, A. D. 391, in which 
the heresy of Macedonius, with regard to the divinity of the 
Holy Spirit, was condemned. In the 5th century, the western 
Churches added to this creed the words Jilioquef in conformity 
with the doctrine, that the Holy Spirit proceeds yro77i the <Son, 
as well as from the Father."* 

In the English Prayer-book, the Nicene Creed occurs only 
in the Communion Office ; but in the American revision it 
has been placed with the Apostles' Creed, in the Order of 
Morning and Evening Prayer, the Minister having liberty to 
use either of them in the ordinary services, and also in the 
Administration of the Communion, when necessary. 

Crosier, or Crozier. A Bishop's pastoral staffer crook. 
In the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States, this, 
with the mitre, &c., have grown into disuse. It was formerly 
considered as an emblem of jurisdiction, and pastoral autho- 
rity. In form it resembled the well-known shepherd's crook, 
the head being frequently decorated with elaborate work- 
manship. It was for many ages always presented to a 
Bishop on receiving his consecration, and indicated that " he 
was then constituted a shepherd over the flock of Christ." 
The Bishop's crosier was always carried in the left hand. 

Cross. As our Saviour Christ suffered death on the cross, 
for man's redemption, the Church has, in all ages, considered 
this instrument of death as the most appropriate emblem or 
symbol of the Christian religion. 

In ancient times, the figure of a cross, made of wood or 
stone, was in common use as a Church ornament, &c., being 
frequently placed on steeples, towers, pinnacles, and the 
summit of arches and roofs ; besides being interwoven with 
all the curious and beautiful forms of Gothic ornament in 
the interior of Churches and sacred places. 

So long as the cross was viewed simply as the sign of our 



* Origines Liturgicae, II. p. 54. 



178 CRO 

religion, no possible evil could result from its use, and it 
might even have served the valuable purpose of constantly 
putting Christians in mind of the sacrifice which vv^as made 
for them by the precious blood-shedding of the Redeemer. 
But in the course of time, it came to be grievously abused, 
(like many other harmless things,) to superstitious and unholy 
purposes ; the consequence of vi^hich has been the exclusion 
of it, in a great measure, from almost all Protestant 
Churches. The proper and innocent use of the cross as an 
architectural ornament, and as an emblematical decoration 
on Church books, pulpit trimmings, &c., has still been retained 
in the Episcopal Church. 

In the Sacrament of Baptism, it is the custom for the Min- 
ister to make (or mark v^ith his finger) the sign of the Cross 
on the forehead of the person baptized. This is done to in- 
timate that the person is now admitted to the fellowship of 
Christ's religion, and become one of his professed disci- 
ples. And as it was an ancient custom " for masters and 
generals to mark the foreheads or hands of their servants 
and soldiers with their names or marks, that it might be 
known to whom they did belong ; so has it long been the 
custom of the Church to sign and seal all those who become 
in baptism the soldiers and servants of Christ." It was in 
allusion to this, that the Fathers (or ancient Bishops, &c.) 
called this sign ^Hhe Lord^s signet, and Chris fs seal."* 
The sign of the cross is -not made till after baptism, so that 
it is not absolutely essential to this rite, and, if request is 
made, it may be omitted altogether, " although the Church 
knows no worthy scruple concerning the same." 

Cross, Holy. A festival of the Romish Church, kept on 
the fourteenth day of September, in honour of the recovery 
from the infidels of a piece of the cross, which, we are told, 
was brought back to Jerusalem, with great triumph, by 

* Wheatly, 



CUR 179 

the Emperor Heraclius. The festival takes its date from 
the year 615. 

Cross, Invention of the* A festival observed in the Church 
of Rome, in memory of the finding of the true cross, by He- 
lena, the mother of Constantine the Great. The story or 
legend in which the circumstances of the discovery are re- 
lated, may be seen in " Wheatly, on the Common Prayer." 
This festival occurs on the third of May. The term " inven- 
tion " is here used in a sense now somewhat obsolete, for the 
jinding or discovery of the cross. 

Crucifix. A figure of the cross, either in statuary or 
painting, &c. with a representation of Christ extended upon it, 
very commonly used among Roman Catholics in their pri- 
vate devotions, and conspicuously placed in their Churches, 
to excite, (as they allege,) religious feeling, and aid in fixing 
their thoughts on the sufferings and death of the Redeemer. 
The superstitious notions, and " peril of idolatry," which 
have long attended the crucifix, have led to its banishment 
from all Protestant Churches. 

Crypt. From xpu'^'rw. The subterranean vaults or cel- 
lars under a cathedral, or other church, chiefly used as depo- 
sitories for the dead. 

Curacy. The office or ecclesiastical situation held by a 
Curate. 

Curate. A Minister who has the cure or care of souls. 
In former times, this title belonged to all Pastors of the 
Church, as it still does in the English Liturgy ; but, by de- 
grees, it came to be applied only to those Ministers whose 
duty it was to assist the Pastors or Rectors of Churches, and 
was no longer used for the Rectors themselves. The Pro- 
testant Episcopal Church in the United States seldom em- 
ploys this term, and the office itself, in the strict sense of a 
subordinate minister appointed by the Rector alone, and by 
him remunerated, does not exist. The word occurs once in 
the Prayer-book, viz : in the form for the Ordering of Dea- 



180 ctJR 

cons, where it is said to be a part of the Deacon's duty, " to 
search for the sick, poor, &c., and intimate their estates, 
names, and places where they dwell, unto the Curate,^* 
In this place, it refers to the Minister who has the actual 
pastoral care of the parish, whether he be the Rector or the 
Assistant Minister. In the Church of England, Curates are 
not instituted or inducted into Churches. 

Cure, Cura, The spiritual charge of a parish ; or, in a 
wider sense, the parish itself. The term is not frequently 
used in the American Church, but occurs sometimes in the 
Prayer-book, as in the Ordering of Priests : — " Will you * 
* * * teach the people committed to your cure and 
charge," &c. Also in the Office of Institution : — "We au* 
thorize you to claim and enjoy all the accustomed temporal- 
ities appertaining to your cure," &c. ; i. e. of thie Church 
over which the Minister has now become the settled Pastor* 

" Curious and Carnal Persons." In Article XVII. 
the effects of the " consideration of Predestination " on twa 
distinct classes of persons, are described. The first are, — 
" godly persons, and such as feel in themselves the working 
of the Spirit of Christ." The other class consists of" curious 
and carnal persons, lacking the Spirit of Christ," with whom 
" to have continually before their eyes the sentence of God's 
Predestination, is a most dangerous downfall," &c. By tak» 
ing the word " curious," here, in its antiquated sense, in con- 
nection with "carnal," we have a distinct reference to 
persons of a severe and unsanctified temperament, cautious 
even to a fault, distrustful of God, and disposed rather to 
search into what God has not revealed, than to practise what 
he has commanded. As a check upon all such speculations, 
and a hint that holiness is better than metaphysics, the Arti- 
cle ends with the important remark, that the promises of 
God are to be received as they are set forth in the Scrip- 
tures, and his will to be followed in all our doings, as it is 
" expressly declared unto us." 



181 



D. 



, " Daily." It was evidently the intention of the Church, in 
the framing of the Prayer-book, that divine service should 
be performed on every day in the year. Hence, the Morn- 
ing Service is called " the Order for Daily Morning Prayer ;" 
and that for the Evening, " the Order for Daily Evening 
Prayer." The Calendar also declares what Lessons of 
Scripture are to be read on every day in the year, — that is, 
the daily lessons ; and a similar provision exists in relation 
to the Ante. communion service. 

In cathedrals and man}' other churches in England, the 
custom of maintaining public service on every day, is still 
continued ; and in the United States, an approach to it is 
made in some of the more considerable city churches, by the 
regular observance of Prayer-days twice or thrice in the 
week, and on all festivals and other holy-days. 

The Church of England further ordains, that " all Priests 
and Deacons are to say daily the Morning and Evening 
Prayer, either privately or openly, not being let [hindered] 
by sickness or some other urgent cause." 

"Damnation." The changes which time has wrought in 
the meaning of words, have seldom been more unfortunate than 
in their effect on this term, and the verb " to dajiin," Mod- 
ern usage limits them, with one exception, to the final doom 
of the wicked. But, in several passages of the New Testa- 
ment, as Rom. xiii. 2, xiv. 23, — 1 Cor. xi. 29, &;c., — the 
sense is that of " condemn" or " condemnation" according to 
the use of the word at the time when our translation of the 
Scriptures was made. Respecting the passage in Corinthians, 
John Wesley remarks, that " damnation is a vile mistransla- 
tion of' the word," for judgment ; forgetting, it is charitable 
to suppose, that the translators did not live in his day. 

In the Prayer-book, the word is often used as in the New 
16 



182 DEA 

Testament for condemnation. See the 25th Article. Bishop 
Jewell has the following remark in his Apology, where the 

word is similarly used : " even so these men will see, 

their own matter is damned and destroyed in the word of 
God, as if it were in poison,"* 

"Dare not ask." A strong expression in one of the 

Collects, at the end of the Communion Office : " thase 

things which, for our unworthiness, we dare not [ask.]" The 
meaning appears to be this : — If God's mercy or bounty were 
to be appealed to on the ground of our own worthiness, con- 
science would render so stern a verdict, that our lips would 
be for ever sealed ; in virtue of the merits of Christ alone have 
we boldness to seek those blessings which, through our own 
" unworthiness, we dare not " otherwise presume to ask. 

Deacon. In the Ministry of the Church, Deacons are the 
lowest of the three orders or grades. The name by which 
they are distinguished, is of Scriptural origin, having been 
given to those who first filled this office, and has ever since 
been retained in the Church. 

In the ancient Church, there was always preserved a broad 
and manifest line of distinction between the office of a Dea. 
con and that of a Priest. So clearly was this defined, that 
none could possibly mistake, or fail to see a difference be- 
tween these two orders, as wide as that between a Priest and 
Bishop. In consistency with this, the Protestant Episcopal 
Church sets forth in her Ordinal, the duties appertaining to 
the office of a Deacon, carefully preserving the distinction 
between that office and the " higher ministries of the Church." 

That Deacons were a branch of the sacred ministry is 
abundantly evident from the 1st Epistle to Timothy, where 
instructions are given relative to their qualifications, and to 
the proper use of their office in the Church of God. The 

* Page 133. 



DEACON. 183 

same will appear from a review of those passages in which 
Deacons are represented as actually preaching and baptizing, 
which were duties appertaining exclusively to the ministry. 
But the most luminous proof of their ministerial character, 
is derived from the account, in the 6th chapter of the Acts, 
of the ordination of seven persons to this office. On this we 
purpose to base our vindication of the Order of Deacons, 
as showing distinctly that they were not merely appointed 
to a secular office, but ordained as Ministers of Christ's 
Church. 

The narrative sets forth, that on account of some com- 
plaints of neglect in the distribution of the daily charities of 
the Church, the Apostles gave order that the disciples should 
select " seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost 
and wisdom," whom they might " appoint over this business." 
Accordingly, seven were chosen, among whom were Philip 
and Stephen ; and, on being presented to the Apostles, 
they were ordained by the imposition of their (the Apos- 
tles') hands. 

The first thing to be noticed here, is the character or 
qualifications of these men. Now, if they were for no higher 
purpose than to take cognizance of the temporal affairs of the 
Church, it would have been sufficient that they possessed 
simply an ordinary amount of good sense, integrity, and 
piety. They would have occupied a place very much re- 
sembling that of the Wardens and Vestrymen in our Churches. 
But what do the Apostles direct ? " Look ye out seven men 
******* jy^ii QJ" iJiQ Holy Ghost and wisdom,^* 
And among those selected was Stephen, " a mMi full of faith 
and of the Holy Ghost." Now if this was merely a secular 
office, we see the Apostles most strangely demanding for it 
the highest spiritual qualifications. In fact, there was no sort 
of relation between the qualifications and the office. To illus- 
trate the matter, suppose that some benevolent persons should 
present to our own Church a sum of money, to be laid out at 



184 DEACON. 

Stated times, in relieving a number of poor people belonging 
to the congregation ; and suppose the charge of this fund to 
be lodged, in the first instance, in the hands of the Bishop ; 
but finding that more important duties prevented him from 
attending to the distribution, he should think proper to call 
for the appointment of some other persons to this duty ; 
would it be at all necessary, that for this merely temporal 
business, he should require the Church to look out persons 
" full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom" ? It would be directly 
perceived that such exalted spiritual qualifications were not 
absolutely needed for the business in hand, however desirable 
they might be on other accounts. And, in the case in ques 
tion, it is equally inconceivable that the Apostles should have 
required the selection of men endowed with the noblest 
spiritual gifts, and full of wisdom, to be appointed to a kind 
of labor which any honest man among the disciples would 
have been competent to discharge. 

Further : these men were not only chosen by the people, 
but solemnly ordained by the Apostles. Here we ask, is it 
at all likely, that for the mere distribution of charity, such a 
solemnity would have been performed 1 To advert to our 
former illustration : — If a sum of money had been given to 
our own Church to assist the indigent, would the Bishop not 
only require in the person to whom the distribution should 
be committed, the highest spiritual gifts, but actually deem 
it necessary to ordain him, before entering on his simple 
duty 1 Would not the thing appear utterly unnecessary and 
superfluous ? And would not every one decide, that if the 
person possessed the above qualifications, and received ordi- 
nation from the Bishop, that something more would be ex- 
pected from him than that line of duty in which his gifts 
would have no field for exercise ? 

But we find at least two of these Deacons engaged imme- 
diately after, in ministerial labors, Stephen is found, not 
confining himself to the lesser matter of distributing the 



DEACON. 185 

charity of the Church, but preaching in the various sjnia- 
gogues of the foreign Jews, and we read that " they were 
not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he 
spake." And by consulting the chronology of our Bibles, it 
will be perceived that this occurred in the same year in which 
he was ordained, if not directly upon the receiving of his 
official authority. The next year we find Philip, another of 
the Deacons, going to Samaria, and preaching and baptizing. 
It would appear then, as some one has remarked, that if 
they were appointed only to serve tables, they must have 
been very unfaithful servants, so soon to desert their trust. 

But it is objected that Philip is called an Evangelist, and 
that he ministered in this capacity, and not in that of a 
Deacon. We reply, that he is not called an Evangelist be- 
fore the history, in the 21st chapter of the Acts, which was 
at least twenty-seven years after he went to Samaria. In 
truth, we know Philip only as a Deacon, for Evangelist is not 
a title of a distinct ordor, but signifies only a minister of 
Christ— one who officially proclaims the gospel. And even 
if it were a distinct office, we have Philip, as just stated, 
preaching Christ, 27 years before he is called by this title. 
It appears then, that the Deacons were ministers of the word, 
as well as ministers of tables, or distributors of charity. 

It may be further remarked, that no objection can validly 
be brought against the sacred character of the Deacons, from 
the fact that the Apostles say, " it is not reason that we 
should leave the word of God and serve tables." For this 
by no means proves that one of these duties was incompatible 
with the other ; but that the Apostles having the chief work 
of preaching the gospel — having " labors more abundant," 
thought it best to release themselves as much as they might 
from lesser duties, which could be performed by others rh 
connection with a less arduous ministry. For the same rea-. 
son, Paul afterwards refused even to haptize, alleging that 
Christ sent him " not to baptize, but to preach the gospel," 
16* 



186 DEACON. 

In the narrative, the Apostles give as a reason for the ordina- 
tion of Deacons, that they wished to give themselves " continu- 
ally to prayer," &c. They did not waiit to be interrupted in 
their ministry ; but by no means say that the Deacon's du- 
ties could not be performed without a surrender of the 
ministry. 

Again ; if the Deacons were ordained simply to distribute 
the property of the Church, under the temporary arrange- 
ment of a community of goods ; how is it that the office sur- 
vived when that arrangement ceased ? How is it that St. Paul 
writes to Timothy, no less than 31 or 32 years after the ordi- 
nation above, giving him rules for the choice and govern- 
ment of Deacons ? If it be said in answer, that these officers 
were still wanted in the Church, to take charge of the poor ; 
and that if the Scriptures had carried down the history a 
little later, we should have seen them so employed ; we reply, 
that where the scripture ends, we must take up other early 
writers who lived immediately after the Apostles, and see 
what they write concerning the duties and office of Deacons. 
Let us then consult a few of them, and hear their testimony. 
The first whom we shall notice, is Clement, a disciple of 
St. Peter, and Bishop of Rome. In one of his Epistles, he 
says that Isaiah had prophesied of Bishops in the Christian 
Church as " overseers in righteousness," and of Deacons as 
" their ministers in faith," adding, that the Apostles estab- 
lished such officers. After this, and almost in the spirit of 
prophecy, he continues, that "the Apostles knew by our Lord 
Jesus Christ, that there should contentions arise, upon the 
account of the ministry." Ignatius, another of the Apostolic 
Fathers, who flourished while some of the twelve were yet 
living, and was probably acquainted with them and their 
views respecting the constitution of the Church, in writing to 
the Magnesians, names Bishops, and Presbyters, and adds, 
" and your Deacons most dear to me, being intrusted with the 
ministry of Jesus Christ.^^ In another Epistle he speaks of 



DBA 187 

the sacred office of Deacon thus : — '* The Deacons also, as 
being the ministers of the mysteries of Jesus Christ, must by 
all means please all ; for they are not the ministers of meat 
and drink, but of the Church of God." Polycarp, a disciple 
of St. John, says to the same purpose, " the Deacons must be 
blameless before (God) as the ministers of God in ChriMJ'^ 
Here then we have the testimony of holy men who lived with 
the Apostles, that in their day. Deacons were an order of the 
Christian ministry. The matter is so plain, that if denied, 
there is no meaning in language, and no truth in history ; 
and it would be equally as reasonable to contend that such 
men as Clement, Ignatius, and Polycarp, never existed. 
When to this we add the undeniable fact, that from the times 
of these men, down to the days of Luther and Calvin, all the 
Deacons in the world were ordained ministers ; and when we 
consider that at the present time all the Churches in the 
world -which are derived from the Apostles, hold their Dea- 
cons in the same light, what a convincing and striking com- 
mentary have we on the scriptural account of the institution 
of the office ! 

It follows then, that if Deacons are to take their stand 
among the laity, as mere officers to take charge of the poor, 
&c., there is this formidable task first to be accomplished, 
viz., to overcome the testimony of the New Testament ; — to 
give it an interpretation which the Church never heard of for 
1500 years; — to accure the friends and disciples of the 
Apostles, of falsehood or ignorance ; — to deny the unanimous 
testimony of the Church in the whole world, and through all 
ages ; and to declare that the present race of Deacons in all 
Churches now under an Episcopal ministry, are a body of 
impostors, exercising a ministry to which they have no 
shadow of right. The intelligent reader will decide which 
is the safest side of the dilemma. 

"Deadly Sin." It would appear that the 16th Article, 
in which this expression occurs, was framed with a view to 



188 DEA 

counteract an opinion originally held by the Novatians, and 
revived by the Anabaptists and other sects, at the period of 
the Reformation. By maintaining that all sin after baptism, 
was unpardonable, they not only set forth a dogma incon- 
sistent with the tenor of Scripture, but reduced all moral 
offences to a perfect level, as being equally heinous in the 
sight of God. The former notion is denied in the Article ; 
and, as respects the latter, while the Church teaches in agree- 
ment with Scripture, that every sin is a grievous offence 
against the majesty of heaven, and that a curse rests on 
every one " that continueth not in all things which are written 
in the book of the law to do them " — a curse from which 
there is no escape but by the blood of Christ, yet she also 
recognizes different degrees of turpitude and guilt in the 
catalogue of sins. " We are far from the conceit of the 
Stoics," says Bishop Burnet, " who made all sins alike. 
We acknowledge that some sins of ignorance and infirmity 
may consist with a state of grace ; which is either quite 
destroyed, or at least, much eclipsed and clouded by other 
sins, that are more heinous in their nature, and more delibe- 
rately gone about. It is in this sense that the word ' deadly * 
is used in the Article ; for though in the strictness of justice 
every sin is * deadly,' yet in the dispensation of the Gospel 
those sins only are deadly, that do deeply wound the con- 
science, and drive away grace." 

It is scarcely necessary to add, that the Church acknow- 
ledges no distinction of sins, like the Church of Rome, into 
mortal and venial; and consequently is free from all the 
abuses which have grown out of such a distinction. 

Dean. In the Church of England, a certain ecclesiastical 
officer, or dignitary attached to a Cathedral. Though the 
great body of the Clergy are connected with parishes, yet 
some are retained in Cathedrals for the assistance of the 
Bishop in the celebration of divine service, &c. Over these 
the Dean presides. It has been supposed that the name is 



DEC 199 

derived from his being chief over ten canons or prebendaries 
at the least. These constitute what is called a " chapter," 
under the immediate presidency of the Dean. They are 
" subordinate to the Bishop, as a council assistant to him in 
matters spiritual relating to religion, and in matters temporal 
relating to the temporalities of his bishoprick."* 

Decalogue. The ten Commandments. The introduc- 
tion of these into our Liturgy, may be dated from the review 
of the Prayer-book, under King Edward, in 1552. Before 
this, though inculcated in the pastoral instruction of the 
people, they were not an established part of the public litur- 
gies, either of the ancient or modern Church. 

The propriety of their introduction immediately after the 
Collect for purity, and at the opening of the solemn office of 
the Communion, needs no defence. At such a time, self- 
examination is an imperative duty ; and, as a guide and 
stimulus to the conscience, nothing can exceed the usefulness 
of a recapitulation of the moral law, connected as it is with 
a petition for divine mercy, and " grace to keep the law for 
the time to come." 

The importance attached by the Church to the keeping of 
the moral law always fresh in the minds of the congregation, 
may account for the laudable and pious custom of painting 
or gilding the ten commandments, (as also the Creed, and 
the Lord's Prayer,) in a conspicuous character, on tablets, or 
on the wall in the rear of the altar, and in full view of the 
people. It is no trifling subject of regret, both on the score 
of taste and sound piety, that a custom so venerable should 
be gradually falling into neglect. 

"Decent," "Decently." These terms are occasionally 
found in the rubrics of the Prayer-book, as a check against 
disorder and slovenliness, &c., where there might be danger 
of them. 

* The Laws relating to the Clergy, 



190 DEG 

" Let every thing be done decently and in order," is a stand- 
ing motto over the ceremonies and usages of the Church ; and 
in the neglect of this, it is a burdensome if not an impracti- 
cable task to preserve those feelings of awe and reverence, 
on which the beauty of our services, and the spiritual benefit 
of the worshippers, so very much depend. When Deacons 
or Priests are to be ordained, the Church requires that they 
shall appear " decently habited," in which demand it is un- 
derstood not only that their ordinary apparel shall be becom - 
ing, and such as is sanctioned by clerical usage, but that the 
candidates for Deacon's Orders shall assume some part of 
the customary ministerial dress, in anticipation of the office 
to which they are to be admitted.* The term decent is thus 
nearly synonymous with proper, becoming, or appropriate. So 
also in one of the rubrics of the Communion office ; where 
it is ordered that the alms shall be received " in a decent 
Basin to be provided by the parish for that purpose," that is, 
a plate or discus suitable for the object, and proper to be 
afterwards placed on the altar, without disparaging the dig- 
nity of the after part of the service. 

Declaration. A solemn form to which the Church re- 
quires subscription, from all who seek admission to her Min- 
istry. See Article VII. of the Constitution of the Church 
in the United States. The form runs in the following words : 
" I do believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Tes- 
taments to be the word of God, and to contain all things 
necessary to salvation ; and I do solemnly engage to conform 
to the doctrines and worship of the Protestant Episcopal 
Church in these United States." 

Dedication. See Consecration. • 

Degradation. The act of depriving a Clergyman of the 
ministerial character and authority, on account of crime or 

* There is a similar anticipation in the consecration of a Bishop, the 
Candidate being allowed to wear the Rochet. 



DEGRADATION. 191 

unworthiness proved against him. The terms " Deposition," 
and " Deprivation," with some others, are used to express the 
same awful sentence. 

The discipline of the Church assigns three degrees of cen- 
sure for offences in her Ministers : 1. Admonition, 2. Suspen- 
sion, and 3. Degradation. These are administered, according 
to the circumstances of the case, after the accused has been 
tried by an ecclesiastical court, and found guilty. The Bishop 
is the minister of discipline in his Diocese. Under him, 
a committee, or council of presbyters, act in securing a 
full and impartial investigation of facts, and in giving to 
the accused all reasonable time and opportunity for his 
own defence, and the proof of his innocence. If the trial 
issue in a verdict of guilt, the Bishop pronounces the sen- 
tence, and carries it into execution ; and according to Article 
VI. of the Constitution of the Church, " none but a Bishop 
shall pronounce sentence of deposition or degradation from 
the ministry on any Clergyman, whether Bishop, or Presby- 
ter, or Deacon." 

The mode of proceeding, in the trial of a Clergyman, is 
determined by the Canons of the various Dioceses. The 
General Canons set forth the nature of those offences on 
which a presentment may be grounded. 

By General Canon XXXIX. it is declared, that " When 
any minister is degraded from the holy ministry, he is de- 
graded therefrom entirely, and not from a higher to a lower 
order of the same." And "No degraded minister shall be 
restored to the ministry." 

In cases of degradation, information is given to " every 
Minister and Vestry in the Diocese, and also to all Bishops 
of this Church," in order to secure the Church from any in- 
trusion on the part of the person degraded. 

The precise effect produced by the sentence of degrada- 
tion, as understood by the ancient Church, seems to have 
been that of an ecclesiastical deprivation of all right to ex. 



192 DEL 

ercise the functions of the Ministry ; though it is question- 
able whether it was esteemed as an absolute obliteration of 
the spiritual powers conferred in ordination. " The priest 
can baptize, but he cannot wnbaptize ; and, in truth, though 
Bishops ordain, they cannot wwordain ; they can only by their 
censures so far depose, as to oblige the delinquent from the 
exercise of his function."* This appears to have been the 
doctrine maintained at an early age. Degraded ministers 
were carefully excluded from joining with the other Clergy 
in the performance of sacred offices. Thus Apostolic Canon 
IX. ordains, that " If any Clergyman join in prayer with a 
deposed Clergyman, as a Clergyman, let him be deposed ;" 
because this was a virtual owning of his ministrations. The 
Canons were also decisive in asserting that a degraded min- 
ister could not be restored to his office. The 3d Canon of 
St. Basil ordains, that " a layman excommunicated may be 
restored to the degree from which he falls, but a clergyman 
deposed cannot." And the 4th Antiochian Canon runs in 
these words : " If any Bishop being deposed by a Synod, or 
any Priest or Deacon deposed by his Bishop, do perform any 
part of his Liturgy, [of the public service,] he shall never 
have any hopes of restitution, or of having his cause heard 
in another Synod," &c. In this, though restitution or resto- 
ration is spoken of, yet the reference is to cases where sen- 
tence of deposition by an inferior judge, was suspended by 
an appeal to a superior, and pendente lite, " the censured 
Clergyman was not to officiate."* The general rule was 
that now incorporated into our Canons, viz., that a degraded 
Clergyman could never be reinstated in his office, though in a 
few cases, the rule was dispensed with, and restorations took 
place. 

Delegates. The delegates composing a Diocesan Con- 
vention, are the Clergy of the Parish Churches, &c., together 

* Johnson on the Canonical Codes. 



DEs 293 

with a representation of laymen chosen in each parish, un- 
der the regulations of the Canons of the Diocese. 

Delegates to the General Convention, are chosen from the 
Clergy and Laity, by the Conventions of the Dioceses they 
represent. See Convention. 

Departed Spirits. See Hell, Descent into. 

Depose. To deprive, or degrade from the Ministry. See 
Degradation. 

Deposition. The displacing or degrading of an unworthy 
Clergyman from the Ministry. See Degradation. 

Deprecations. This title is given to those parts of the 
Litany, in which we pray God to deliver us from all kinds of 
evil, and the punishment due to it. The Deprecations begin 
with " Remember not. Lord, our offences," &c., and end 
with "In all time of our tribulation," &c., to every portion of 
which, after being said by the Minister, the people respond, 
" Good Lord, deliver W5," excepting the first, where the an- 
swer is, " Spare us, good Lord,'' 

Deputies. Those clergymen and laymen who are sent or 
deputed to attend the Conventions of the Church. See Con- 
vention, and Delegate. 

Descent into Hell. See Hell, Descent into. 
"Desire or deserve.'' See Collect for the 12th Sunday 
after Trinity. « Almighty and everlasting God, who art 
wont to give more than either we desire or de- 
serve," &c. An objection is sometimes felt against this 
language, as though it were anti-scriptural and calculated to 
repress the fervency of prayer. In reply, it is remarked by 
Dr. Bennet, that " We do not always know what particular 
things are most fit for us ; and therefore we cannot desire 
those things in particular. So that though we do desire them 
in general terms, when we beseech God to give us whatever 
we stand in need of ; yet we do not desire them in that 
sense, in which the phrase is manifestly understood in this 
place," 

17 



194 DESK. 

Desk. In Churches, an elevated place or pew, in which 
the ordinary Morning and Evening Services are read. 

The desk, though now an indispensable part of a well- 
arranged Episcopal Church, is not of very ancient date, 
having been introduced into the Church of England subse- 
quent to the Reformation. Before, and at that period, it had 
been the general, if not the invariable custom, to read the 
liturgy from the Chancel, probably from the front or else the 
north side of the Altar. This indeed was the authorized 
place even as late as the reign of Elizabeth. At a prior 
date, under King Edward VI., the rubric directed the " Priest, 
being in the Choir, [or Chancel,] ta begin with a loud voice the 
Lord's Prayer," that being then the opening of the Liturgy. 
Soon after this, a few of the continental reformers suggested, 
that the reading of the Liturgy from the Chancel was " a 
most anti-Christian practice," because the Priest was thus 
separated from the people, who had an equal right to pray 
with the Clergy. It was no trifling compliment to the Church, 
by the bye, that their sagacity spent itself in finding such 
frivolous causes of complaint. However, to gratify them, 
the service was ordered to be read in such places in the 
Church, as might give the Priest the best position for being 
heard by the people. By Elizabeth, the disorder which had 
grown up from this blind and indefinite rubric, was in some 
degree stayed, by a return to the original practice, i. e., to 
the reading of Morning and Evening Prayer in the Chancel. 

The next step was the introduction of the Desk, or, as if 
was called, the " Reading Pew." Something of this kind was 
found necessary in Churches constructed on the old model, 
in order that the Minister might be more distinctly heard 
than he could be when standing in the Chancel at a remote 
part of the building. And when it is recollected, that the 
Churches then in being, were mostly built with reference to 
a service which addressed the eye far more than the ear, a 
service that dealt in gorgeous processions and pompous 



DEU 195 

ceremonies, and all the finery and splendor of a ritual that 
held men in awe by its outward fascinations, it will be seen 
at once, that on the introduction of a liturgy in the common 
language of the people, abounding with instruction, and call- 
ing men to unite in it " understandingly," it was a first duty 
to locate the officiating minister, in such a position as would 
secure to the congregation the benefit of a distinct hearing 
of the service. The Bishops, therefore, "at the solicitations 
of their inferior Clergy, allowed them in several places to 
supersede their former practice, and to have Desks, or Read- 
ing Pews, in the body of the Church, where they might, with 
more ease to themselves, and greater convenience to the peo- 
ple, perform the daily morning and evening service. Which 
dispensation, begun at first by some few ordinaries, and re- 
commended by them to others, grew by degrees to be more 
general, till at last it came to be an universal practice ; inso- 
much that the convocation, in the beginning of King James 
I's reign, ordered, that in every Church there should be " a 
convenient seat made for the minister to read service in."* 

This is, in short, a history of the origin of the desks of our 
Churches. And though, from the convenient size and plan 
of modern Churches, the original necessity cannot now be 
pleaded for the use of desks, yet other reasons equally valid, 
are not wanting in vindication of them as an essential part 
of a well-furnished Church. A return to the primitive prac- 
tice of reading the liturgy from the Chancel is not to be 
looked for ; and in the absence of desks, there might be a 
tendency to bring in the pulpit as a substitute, a practice 
which would with difficulty recommend itself to any lover of 
ecclesiastical order and propriety. 

Deus, Misereatur. The Latin of " God be merciful " 
unto us, which are the first words of one of the hymns ap- 
pointed to be used after the second Lesson in Evening Ser- 

* Wheatly, 112. 



196 mo 

vice. This is simply the 67th Psalm, an anthem beginning 
with a penitential prayer, then expanding into a desire for the 
spiritual good of all nations, and terminating in a strain of 
universal rejoicing, with a recapitulation of both the temporal 
and eternal blessings which shall attend the general diffusion 
of divine truth. 

Deuteronomium. The Latin title of the book of Deuter- 
onomy, as given in the 6th Article of Religion. 

Devotions. Near the beginning of the Communion Ser- 
vice in the Prayer-book, this name is given to the offerings 
w^hich the people give for the relief of the poor, &c., thus — 
" the Deacons, Church Wardens, and other fit persons ap- 
pointed for that purpose, shall receive the Alms for the Poor, 
and other Devotions of the people." These gifts are proba, 
bly so called because they are devoted to this pious purpose ; 
the word, however, is now seldom used in this sense. See 
Oblations. 

DiAcoNATE. The office or rank of a Deacon. The 
deaconship. 

Dignitary. A Bishop or other ecclesiastical officer hold- 
ing a peculiar rank or dignity in the Church. 

DiMissoRY Letter. Every Minister of the Church is 
under the care and jurisdiction of one of the Bishops of the 
Church, usually the Bishop of the Diocese in which he re- 
sides. But in the event of his removal into another Diocese, 
his Bishop, on request, transfers him by letter to the Bishop 
of that otlier Diocese, recommending him to his spiritual 
care, and testifying to his correct standing in the Church. 
This is called a " Dimissory Letter," or " letter of dis- 
mission." 

Diocesan, a. Relating to a Diocese, and not to >the 
Church in general. Thus, the regular annual meeting of 
the Clergy &;c. of any particular Diocese, is called a " Dio- 
cesan Convention ;" and their ecclesiastical laws, are de- 
nominated ^^ Diocesan Canons," because they are enacted for 



DTO 197 

that Diocese only. In like manner, a seminary or school 
for the education of persons for the ministry, and belonging 
to any particular Diocese, is called a " Diocesan Seminary," 
whereas another for the same purpose, but belonging to all 
the Dioceses in common, has the name of the " General 
Seminary." 

Diocesan, n. One who exercises the ecclesiastical ju- 
risdiction of a Diocese, i. e., a Bishop. The term Diocesan 
is more limited than that of Bishop, the latter including and 
recognizing all the peculiar functions of the Episcopate, while 
the former has reference only to the bounds in which those 
functions shall be exercised. Bishop, is therefore a desig- 
nation, in all circumstances and places, of one holding the 
powers of the Episcopate. On the other hand. Diocesan is 
applicable to such an officer, only within the limits of his 
own Diocese. The Bishop of New York, for example, bears 
the title of Bishop throughout the whole Church ; but that 
of Diocesan only in his relation to the particular Diocese of 
New York. 

Diocesan Convention. See Convention. 

Diocese, or Diocess. A territorial district or portion of 
the Church, forming the spiritual jurisdiction of a Bishop. 

The division of the Church into Dioceses, may be viewed 
as a natural consequence of the institution of the office of 
Bishops. The authority to exercise jurisdiction, when com- 
mitted to several hands, requires that some boundaries be 
defined, within which each party may employ his powers ; 
otherwise, disorder and confusion would ensue,— ^and the 
Church, instead of being benefited by the appointment of 
governors, would be exposed to the double calamity of an 
overplus of them in one district, and a total deficiency in 
another. 

The fixing of parish boundaries, would meet the difficulty 
so far as Presbyters were concerned ; but we are here con, 
templating the sphere in which powers of a higher grade 
17* 



198 DIOCESE. 

were to operate ; — powers extendiog to the government of 
those Presbyters, and to the higher acts of disciphne, &c. in 
their parishes. Hence we find, even as early as the New 
Testament history, some plain indications of the rise of the 
Diocesan system, in the cases respectively of James, Bishop 
of Jerusalem ; Timothy, Bishop of Ephesus ; Titus, of 
Crete ; to whom may be added the Angels or Bishops of the 
seven Chux'ches in Asia. These were located in cities, and 
had jurisdiction over the Churches and inferior Clergy in 
those cities, and probably in the country adjacent. 

The first Dioceses were formed by planting a Bishop in a 
city or considerable village, where he officiated statedly, and 
took the spiritual charge " not only of the city itself, but the 
suburbs, or region lying round about it within the verge of 
its [civil] jurisdiction ; Which seems to be the plain reason 
of that great and visible difference which we find in the ex- 
tent of Dioceses ; some being very large, others very small, 
according as the civil government of each city happened to 
have a larger or lesser jurisdiction."* This was the primi- 
tive mode of proceeding. One Bishop, and no more, was 
allowed to a city ; but it did not follow, neither was it the 
fact, that every Bishop had only one city within his Diocese, 
for numerous instances can be given to prove the contrary. 
As an ordinary rule, however, " an Episcopal Church [or 
Diocese] was generally a city and a whole region, of the 
very same extent with the power of the civil magistrate, 
whose bounds for the most part v/ere the bounds of the 
Bishop's Diocese ; though the rule was not so universal, but 
that it admitted of some particular exceptions. "| 

To these Episcopal districts or bishoprics, the name of 
" Diocese " was not given till the beginning of the fourth cen- 
tury. Before that period they were denominated " Pare- 
chia ;" from which circumstance the advocates of Presby- 

* Bingham, Chr. Antiq. H. p. 281. t Ibid, II. p. 284. 



DIOCESE. 199 

terianism have endeavoured to prove that the Episcopacy of 
the primitive Church was simply parochial — a Bishop being 
no more than the pastor of a parish Church, whose jurisdic- 
tion extended over it and the clergy who might be his assist- 
ants and dependents. But it is demonstrable that, whatever 
may be the case now, the term parochia was not, at the period 
in question, the designation of a single congregation or pa- 
rish, but of " the towns or villages near a city, which to- 
gether with the city was the Bishop's Ilapoixta, or as we now 
call it, his Diocese, the bounds of his ordinary care and juris- 
diction. That thus it was, appears evidently from this, that 
the largest Dioceses, such as those of Rome, Antioch, and 
Alexandria, which had many particular Churches in them, 
were called by the same name, as the reader may find an 
hundred passages in Eusebius, where he uses the word 
ITapojxja, when he speaks of those large and populous cities, 
which had many particular Churches in them."* The objec- 
tion therefore amounts to nothing more than a quibble on a 
name, and is defeated by the slightest reference to the actual 
state of things in the early Church. 

The word " Diocese " came into use for a bishopric, at an 
early period of the fourth century, but it was not till a later 
date that the ancient name of parochia changed its applica- 
tion, by being appropriated as the designation of a single 
congregation, such as we now call a parish Church. 

In the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States, 
the limits of Dioceses are for the most part defined by the 
civil boundaries of States and Territories, in agreement with 
what seems to have been the ordinary practice of the primi- 
tive Church. Provision is made, however, by the General 
Canons, for the erection of new Dioceses within the limits of 
those now defined by States, v/henever the growth of the 



» Bingham, II. p. 282. 



200 t»ip 

Church, and the decisions of their Bishops and Conventions, 
may require it. 

Every Bishop of this Church is required to " confine the 
exercise of his Episcopal office to his proper diocese or dis- 
trict, unless requested to ordain or confirm, or perform any 
other act of the Episcopal office, by any Church destitute of 
a Bishop."* 

" A Diocese without a Bishop, may, by its Convention, be 
placed under the full Episcopal charge and authority of the 
Bishop of another Diocese, who shall by that act become the 
Bishop also of the said vacant Diocese, until a Bishop is duly 
elected and consecrated for the same, or until the said act of 
its Convention be revoked. "f 

A congregation in one Diocese, may not unite themselves 
with the Church in any other Diocese, as this would not only 
be irregular and contrary to the principles on which Dioceses 
are framed, but would produce endless confusion and litiga- 
tion in the administration of discipline, &c. Every congre- 
gation, therefore, is " considered as belonging to the body of 
the Church of the Diocese, within the limits of which they 
dwell, or within which there is seated a Church to which 
they belong, "ij: 

DiPTYCHS. In a very early age, it was customary to have 
in every Church, two written tables, " whereof one contained 
the names of all eminent Bishops and Clergymen then living, 
with whom that Church held Communion and correspond- 
ence ; the other the names of all eminent Bishops and other 
men of their own, or other Churches, then dead. The Dea- 
cons rehearsed all the names in both tables, at the altar, 
whenever the Eucharist was celebrated. These tables were 



* Article IV. of the General Constitution. 
t Canon VII. of the General Convention. 
t Canon XLIII. do. 



Dis 201 

by the Greeks called AiV<nj;)(^a, and by some English writers 
Diptychs."* 

Discipline. The discipline of the Church is the order by 
which it is regulated and preserved from error, especially in 
admonishing and cor) ectinjj those members who have com- 
mitted offences, and in maintaining the truly pious in the 
way of truth, and in the favour of God. For example : if a 
Minister is accused of some error or crime, he is brought to 
trial before his Bishop, and if found guilty, is either reproved 
for his offence, or suspended for a time from the exercise 
of his ministry, or publicly and finally discharged from 
his office. See Degradation. If a communicant be found 
guilty, he may, in like manner, be denied a place, for a 
time, among God's people, at the Lord's Supper, or may 
be openly rejected as an unworthy and wicked person. See 
Excommunication. 

The " discipline of the Church " also refers to those 
Canons, laws, and customs by which the Church exercises 
her corrective power, and her salutary influence, — without 
which, instead of peace, tranquillity and concord, there 
would be danger of continual disorder and confusion. 

"Discreetly." In a careful and prudent manner. In 
the baptism of Infants, the Minister is enjoined by the rubric 
to dip the child " in the Water discreetly^'' or to " pour 
Water upon it," &c. The need of such a precaution is ob- 
vious in cases of immersion, and serves to illustrate the care 
and tenderness of the Church. 

Discretion. Wherever, in the services of the Church, 
the Prayer-book gives permission to the Minister to omii^ to 
add tOf or differ from the usual order of worship, he is said to 
have the " liberty of discretion,^* or the right to follow his 



* Johnson, on the Canonical Codes. 



202 Dis 

own choice and judgment. The following are cases of this 
kind : — 

1. In the Litany he may omit the part which is printed 
between brackets, thus [ ], and over which is written, " The 
Minister may, at his discretion, omit all that follows, to the 
prayer, " We humbly beseech thee, O Father," &c. 

2. At Morning or Evening Prayer, or at the Communion, 
any of the short Collects at the end of the Communion ser- 
vice, may be added, " at the discretion of the Minister." 

3. Instead of the regular Psalms of the day, any one of 
the Selections of Psalms may be used. 

4. " On Days of Fasting and Thanksgiving, appointed 
either by the Civil or by the Ecclesiastical Authority, the 
Minister may appoint such Psalms as he shall think fit in his 
discretion, unless any shall have been appointed by the Eccle- 
siastical Authority, in a Service set out for the Occasion : 
which, in that case, shall be used, and no other." 

5. " On occasions of Ecclesiastical Conventions, and those 
of Charitable Collections, the same discretion of choice is 
allowed " in selecting Lessons from Holy Scripture, as in 
choosing Psalms. See 4, above. 

In the Communion Service, the Order for Infant Baptism, 
and that for the Visitation of the Sick, &c., &c., the Min- 
ister is also allowed to omit or to use certain parts at his 
discretion, or as he may think most proper at the time. 

Dispensation. A privilege granted by the ecclesiastical 
authority, under peculiar circumstances, exempting candidates 
for Orders, and others, from a strict compliance with certain 
requisitions of the Canons. The authority by which a dis- 
pensation is made, is also derived from the Canons, together 
with the limits to which it is confined, and the qualifications 
necessary in the applicant. 

" Dissemble." To practise deceit, or (as it is used in the 
Exhortation at thebeginning of Morning and Evening Prayer,) 
to confess with our lips, what we do not believe or feel in 



Dox 203 

our hearts. " We should not dissemble nor cloke [our sins] 
before the face of Almighty God, our heavenly Father." 

Dissenters. A term applied in England, and sometimes 
in the United States, to those Protestant sects which differ 
or dissent from the views entertained by the Church, and are 
not connected with her ministrations and worship. 

"Distempers." See the "Prayer for Persons troubled 
in mind or conscience," in the Visitation of the Sick. " Give 
him strength against all his temptations, and heal all his dis- 
temper s.^^ 

The word is here used in a somewhat obsolete sense, for 
distraction and uneasiness of mind, — a want of due regularity, 
or balance in the mental faculties,-^— a predominance of fear, 
terror, and anguish of spirit. 

" Distinctly." See " Audible voice." 

Dominical. Pertaining to our Lord, as dies Domini, the 
Lord's day, or the Dominical. The term is also applied to 
the Lord's prayer, &c. 

Dominical Letter. See Sunday Letter. 

Doubles. See Concurrence of Holy Days. 

Doxology. a song of glory, or a hymn in which glory 
is ascribed to God. 

The noblest and most animating doxologies of the Church, 
are the " Gloria Patri," — (Glory be to the Father, &c.) — 
and the " Gloria in excelsis," — (Glory be to God on high, &c.) 
— both of which are not only venerable for their antiquity, 
but rich with the life of devotion, and the firm, unswerving 
tone of divine truth. The first of these occurs several times 
in the appointed Morning and Evening services ; the Church 
assuming, that every sincere Christian will love, at all times, 
to ascribe glory to that divine Being, who hath made, re- 
deemed, and sanctified him. 

After singing one of the Psalms or Hymns in metre, it is 
customary to conclude with a doxology to the same tune. 
For this purpose, the Church has set forth several, adapted 



204 EAS 

to all the varieties of metre in the selection of Hymns, and 
the metrical Psalms. See Gloria Patri, and Gloria in 

EXCELSIS. 



Easter Collection. In the Eastern Diocese it is ordered 
that a collection be annually made in each of the Churches, 
on Easter day, or as soon after as convenient, for the pur- 
pose of aiding in the support of young parishes, and sustain- 
ing the missionary operations of the Diocese in general. 
The funds arising from these Collections are lodged in the 
hands of a Treasurer, and are subject to the disposal of the 
Bishop. 

Easter Day. The great festival of the Resurrection of 
our Saviour Christ. The word Easter is derived from the 
Saxon " oster," signifying " to rise." 

This sacred festival has had existence from the earliest 
ages of the Church, and there can be little doubt of its apos- 
tolical authority. " As all Christians, on the preceding Friday, 
stood, as it were, mournfully by the cross of their Saviour, 
and the next day were overwhelmed with grief for his depart- 
ure ; the Church on this day, upon the first notice of his 
resurrection from the grave, calls upon us, with a becoming 
and holy transport, to turn our heaviness into joy, to put off 
our sackcloth, and gird ourselves with gladness. 

•* Among the primitive Christians, this queen of feasts, as 
they called it, was so highly esteemed, that it was solemnized 
fifty days successively ; but as devotion abated, this feast 
was shortened ; the whole week, however, was for a long 
time observed as holy-days, for the expression of their joy 
for our Lord's resurrection. And our own Church, though 
she appoints only particular services for the Monday and 



EJA 205 

Tuesday following, which contain full evidences of our Sa- 
viour's resurrection ; yet makes provision for the solemn 
observation of the whole week, by appointing, in the office of 
Communion, a preface suitable to the season for eight days 
together." 

Easter Even. Properly, the evening next before the 
Festival of Easter ; but, according to usage, the wliole of the 
ddy preceding that Feast. For Easter Even, the Church 
has provided Lessons not only for the evenirig, but also for 
a morning service. And, from the fact of there being also an 
appointed Collect, Epistle, and Gospel, it would seem to have 
been the intention of the Church, to provide for a full morn- 
ing service, for at that time only could the Epistle and Gos- 
pel properly be used. 

Ecclesiastic. A person holding any office in the sacred 
ministry of the Church. 

Ecclesiastical. Relating to the Church, — (Ecclesia.) 
Thus the laws of the Church are Ecclesiastical laws, or 
Canons. Ecclesiastical history, is a record of events which 
have transpired in the Church. The surplice, gown, &c., 
are freqently called Ecclesiastical garments. 

" Ecclesiastical Administration." See Administra- 
tion. 

Ecumenical, or (Ecumenical. A term applied to Gene- 
ral Councils of the Christian Church, to distinguish them 
from provincial or national assemblies of the same kind. 
See Councils. 

Ejaculation. A short and sudden prayer, such, for ex- 
ample, as " God be merciful to me, a sinner !" " Lord have 
mercy upon us." " O Christ, hear us." The disciples, when 
overtaken by a storm on the sea of Galilee, uttered an ejacu- 
lation when they cried " Lord, save us, we perish!" Blind 
Bartimeus, also, when he prayed, " Jesus, thou Son of David, 
have mercy on me," and Paul, when he cried out at his con- 
version, " Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ?" The PsalmsJ 

18 



206 EMB 

of David abound with holy ejaculations, which every devout 
Christian may treasure up in his memory, to offer to God in 
seasons of suddcii danger or temptation ; for these brief 
petitions are heard in heaven, and will be answered by Him, 
who never forgets the sorrows and griefs of a contrite heart. 

Elder. One of the Scripture names of the second order 
of Ministers in the Church of Christ. The title of Presby- 
ter or Priest is of the same import, and is now more gene- 
rally used. See Bishop. 

Elements. The materials used in the Sacraments, and 
appointed for that purpose by Christ himself. Thus water 
is the element of baptism, and Iread and wine of the Holy 
Communion. 

Elevation of the Host, A practice in the Romish Church, 
of lifting up the consecrated wafer or bread in the Eucharist, 
to be seen and adored by the people. In allusion to this 
ceremony, the Church declares in her 28th Article, that 
" The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was not by Christ's 
Ordinance reserved, carried about, lifted up, or worshipped." 

Ember days. These are the Wednesday, Friday, and 
Saturday after the first Tuesday in Lent, the feast of Whit- 
Sunday, the 14th of September, and the 13th of December ; 
the Sundays following these days being the stated times of 
ordination in the Church. The weeks in which these days 
fall are called Ember weeks. 

The derivation of the name is uncertain. It has been 
supposed by some to signify " ashes," and by others, " absti- 
nence," in allusion to the ancient customs connected with 
fasting. The fact that the Ember weeks return at stated 
periods, have led others to trace the name to a Saxon word 
signifying a " course " or " cycle." In the Western Church 
they were denominated " the Fasts of the Four Seasons." 
On these days " the design of the Church is to call her mem- 
bers, by prayer and fasting, to invoke the divine aid and bless- 
ing on the choice and commission of ministers of the Gospel. 



ENL ^ 207 

The deep interest every Christian heart should feel in a mat- 
ter of such infinite moment, should secure for these days the 
pious observance of the members of the Church." 

" Endow." To furnish a person or object with a portion 
of money or other property, as in the settling of a dower in 
marriage, or the appropriation of a fund to the support of an 
institution of learning, &c. 

In the marriage service of the Church, the word occurs in 
a connexion, where, when taken in the popular rather than 
the strict and proper sense, certain misgivings have arisen in 
many minds, as to the extent of obligation involved. The 
passage alluded to is as follows : " With this ring I thee wed, 
and with all my worldly goods I thee endow ; In the name of 
the Father," &;c. By recurring to the original signification 
of the term, it will be evident that the husband does not here 
constitute the wife sole and absolute proprietor of ' all his 
worldly goods,' for this would imply an obligation on his part 
to relinquish all right to manage or dispose of such property, 
except as his wife's agent or by her express permission. On the 
contrary, all that the Church designs, in this promise, is the de- 
claration on the part of the husband, of his wife's right to a 
maintenance by a " participation in his fortune and estate," 
and of such further interest in his property as may arise from 
previous contract, the laws of the state, the customs of soci- 
ety, or the honor, respect, and afTection, which are required 
by Scripture, as due from men to their wives. 

Enlightened. This term was, in the ancient Church, the 
designation of those who had been baptized. The epithet. 
Illuminated^ had a similar application, in allusion to the 
heavenly light imparted by the gospel to those who had just 
emerged from the gloom of paganism. The following are 
examples of the use of the former term. " One lately en- 
lightened ought not to be promoted to the Sacerdotal Order,"* 

* 3d Canon of the Council of Laodicea. 



208 EPi ' 

that is, a newly baptized person should not be ordained a 
Priest. Again, " They who are to be enlightened, ought per- 
fectly to learn the Creed, and rehearse it to the Bishops or 
Priests on Maundy Thursday,"* in readiness for their bap- 
tism on Easter, the Sunday following. 

EpACT. In Chronology, and in the tables for the calcula- 
tion of Easter, a number indicating the excess of the solar 
above the lunar year. The solar year consisting, in round 
numbers of 365 days, and the lunar, of twelve months, of 
twenty-nine and a half days each, or 354 days, there will be 
an overplus in the solar year of 11 days, and this constitutes 
the Epact. In other words, " the epact of any year expresses 
the number of days from the last new moon of the old year, 
which was tlie beginning of the present lunar year, to the 
first of January." In the first year, therefore,, it will be ; 
in the second 11 days ; in the third twice 11, or 22 ; and in 
the fourth it wouid~be 11 days more, or 33 ; but 30 days be- 
ing a synodical month, will in that year be intercalated, mak- 
ing thirteen synodical months, and the remaining 3 is then 
the epact. In the following year 11 will again be added, 
making 14 for the epact, and so on to the end of the cycle, 
adding 11 to the epact of the last year, and always rejecting 
30, by counting it as an additional month. 

Epiphany. " The Epiphany, or Manifestation of Christ 
to the Gentiles, happens on the 6th of January, and denotes 
the day on which the wise men came from the East to wor- 
ship the infant Jesus. Matt. ij. 4. Let us be thankful for 
the light of the (rospel, which on that day began to shine on 
those who sat in darkness. Isaiah ix. 2 ; Matt. iv. 16. 

" The word Epiphany is derived from the Greek compound 
verb, which signifies to manifest or declare, and was at first 
used both for Christmas-day, when Christ was manifested in 
the flesh, and for this day, (to which it is now more properly 

* 46th Canon of the Council of Laodicea. 



EPi 209 

appropriated,) when he was manifested by a star to the Gen- 
tiles." 

Besides the more usual name, we find it called by ancient 
writers "the Day of the Holy Lights ;" and " the Theophany," 
or Manifestation of God. 

" The principal design of our Church, in the celebration of 
this festival, is to show our gratitude to God for manifesting 
the Gospel to the Gentile world, and vouchsafing to them 
equal privileges with the Jews, who had been all along his 
peculiar people ; the first instance of which divine favor was 
in declaring the birth of Christ to the wise men of the 
East. 

In all, however, there are three great manifestations of our 
Saviour commemorated on this festivaJ, all which happened, 
according to St. Chrysostom, on the same day in different 
years. The first, his manifestation to the magi, or wise men, 
by a star, which conducted them to the place where the child 
Jesus lay, and where they paid him their respective tributes 
of adoration. The second manifestation was that of the 
glorious Trinity at his baptism. The third was the mani- 
festation of the glory and divinity of Christ, by his miracu- 
lous change of water into wine at the marriage feast in Cana 
of Galilee." 

This festival was observed in the time of Gregory Nazi- 
anzen, whose sermon upon " the Holy Lights," is upon this 
day. Epiphanius and Chrysostom have likewise sermons 
upon it. St. Augustine, in his time, speaks of it as univer- 
sally celebrated by the Catholic Church, and neglected by 
none but the schismatical Donatists. 

Episcopacy. By this term is sometimes understood the 
entire system of doctrine, order, discipline, &c. of the Pro- 
testant Episcopal Church. More properly it denotes the 
form of ministry in the Church, comprising the three Orders 
of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, and in this sense alone we 
shall use it in the present article. 
18* 



210 EPISCOPACY. 

That it was the design of our Blessed Redeemer to con- 
tinue a ministry in the Church, after his ascension, is a truth 
for which we ask no better proof than that furnished by the 
narratives of the Evangelists, and the practice of the Apos- 
tles. If then a ministry divinely authorized was to exist, it 
is equally evident that it would assume some definite form. 
It would consist either of a single grade of office, in which 
every person ordained would have an equal share in its func- 
tions and prerogatives, or of two, three or more grades, dis- 
tinguished from each other by degrees of authority and pecu- 
liarities of duty. In the first of these cases the ministry 
would be Congregational or Presbyterian ; in the second it 
would necessarily involve the principle of Episcopacy. 

There is another point to be noticed. There must exist 
somewhere, the power of transmitting the ministry by ordi- 
nation. On the Presbyterian hypothesis, with its single 
grade of office, this power is lodged in every minister, but to 
be exercised by a body of these collectively, in the form of a 
Presbytery. On the Episcopal model, comprehending the 
three grades of Bishop, Priest, and Deacon, this highest 
ministerial act is limited to the superior ministerial grade — 
the functions of each grade rising in exact correspondence 
with the degrees of authority committed to them. 

We say then, that the Christian ministry must have the 
form, either of several distinct orders, or of only one ; and 
that the power of ordination (to which we may add that of 
jurisdiction) will be in the hands of all ministers, or in those 
of some only. It is manifest that whatever may prove itself 
to be THE form of ministry established and authorized by 
Jesus Christ, every other must be altogether void of such 
authority, and based simply on human appointment. For 
there are no two forms of ministry in existence, which are 
not utterly contradictory and hostile to each other. Both 
cannot possibly be right ; and to suppose that He who is the 
fountain of all wisdom could have been the author of such 



EPISCOPACY. 211 

inevitable disorder — a kind of disorder which must ever keep 
the axe at the root of that unity for which He prayed, is not 
only an absurdity, but an opinion equally repudiated by all 
parties. 

So far, we have concerned ourselves mainly with theory. 
Let us now look abroad on the Christian world, and see in 
what manner this is borne out and illustrated hy fact. 

At the first glance we are struck by observing a wide dis- 
crepancy in the views and practice of religious bodies, con- 
cerning the matter before us. In one quartei' we find stren- 
uous advocates of a ministry embracing but a single grade ; 
some of these deriving their powers from lay appointment ; 
others referring them to an ordination by a presbytery. In 
another quarter we notice a ministry having three grades, 
viz.. Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, with the ordaining power 
residing only in the highest order. If we bring these to a 
numerical comparison, we discover that this latter foi-m em- 
braces nearly eleven twelfths of the whole of Christendom, 
while all the other varieties may be comprised in the remain* 
ing twelfth. To determine, which of these is, the true and 
authorized ministry of the New Testament, we shall here re- 
duce them to two classes, viz., that which exists in one grade, 
and that which exists, in iJiree ; or, in other words, the Pres- 
byterian and the Episcopal forms ; and following the line of 
history, let us trace them back to their origin, wherever it 
may lead us, 

1. Of the Presbyterian theory. By ascending to a period 
a little subsequent to the Reformation — a period of compara- 
tively modern date, we find Presbyterianism in existence, but 
under circumstances not a little remarkable. The Conti- 
nental reformers (so far as they were in holy orders) had 
received their ministerial commission from the Romish 
Church — a Church strictly Episcopal. Not one of them had 
been ordained by a Presbytery, but in every case their orders 
were derived from individual Bishops, And what is still more 



212 EPISCOPACY* 

remarkable, at the time when Luther arose, there was not a 
Church in the whole world which held that Presbyters either 
singly, or combined in a Presbytery, had any power or right 
to ordain persons to the ministry. However, as the Refor- 
mation proceeded, the novel opinion was broached by some, 
that there was no very essential difference between a Bishop 
and a Presbyter, and that as the former unquestionably pos- 
sessed the power of transmitting the commission to minister 
in holy things, so did the other also : — ergo, Luther, Calvin, 
Melancthon, &c., &c., were as competent to ordain as any 
existing Bishop. To fortify this opinion, recourse was had 
to the primitive fathers, and to the New Testament. . In sift- 
ing the former, so unpropitious was the task, that it had well 
nigh been given up in despair, but for a plausible sentence or 
two in the aberrations of St. Jerome. These formed the 
sum total of argument from antiquity ; and even these were 
nullified by the astounding declaration of the same Father, 
that it was the peculiar province of the Bishop to ordain. 
On turning to the New Testament, there was the same dearth 
of testimony : for though Timothy was ordained with the 
laying on of the hands of the Presbytery, yet Paul the Apostle 
conveyed the ministry by the laying on of his hands, which 
made it a regular Episcopal ordination. Neither was there 
found a case in which Presbyters were instructed in matters 
pertaining to ordination, or any indication that they had any 
such power in possession. When Paul met the Elders (or 
Presbyters) at Miletus, it does not appear that he said one 
word to them on the subject ; and all who were ordained in 
the Churches founded by the Apostles, received their com- 
mission direct from them, or from the hands of those who 
partook with them of the Apostolic office. But there yet 
remained a shadow of an argument in the fact, that the 
names of Bishop and Presbyter are used in the New Testa- 
ment for the same office. This all allow; and yet it is 
nothing to the purpose. For the Apostles, at that time, were 



EPISCOPACY. 213 

strictly what have since been called Bishops ; and the name 
Bishop was given to an inferior order. The names were 
nothing, so long as the offices were distinct ; and an argu- 
ment on such a basis is a mere play upon words. Driven 
then from the New Testament, and finding no support in an- 
tiquity, and knowing that the whole Christian world denied 
the validity of ordination by Presbyters, the only ground on 
which the non- episcopal Reformers could sustain them- 
selves, was by pleading the necessity of the case. They were 
about to proceed to establish a ministry, without the right or 
power to do it ; — a ministry unheard of in the Christian 
Church ; and in justice to them, let it be said, that they 
grounded it chiefly on the plea of necessity. This or none, 
was by them supposed to be the alternative ; and with many 
sorrowings of heart because Bishops were not to be had, 
they did what they thought the exigency of the case de- 
manded. 

It will here be perceived, that while we have not traced Pres- 
byterian ordination further back than about 250 years, we 
have already arrived at its fountain head. Before the Re- 
formation, for a period of 1500 years, ordination by presbyters 
was totally unknown, except in a few crooked cases, where 
the attempt was made, and followed by instant condemnation 
from the Church, and the declaration that they were utterly 
null and void. 

Whether the plea of necessity was a just one, or indeed 
whether it can ever occur, is a question worthy of considera. 
tion. It has been said, that " the continental Churches might 
long since have conformed to the apostolical model ; the Dutch 
Church might, at a very early period, have obtained orders 
from the neighbouring Episcopate of Denmark and Sweden, 
or, no doubt, from England ; the French Church might have 
done so, possibly since the Regent's administration, certainly 
in the reign of Louis XVI. Switzerland, like Holland, has 
possessed an opportunity of completing their Reformation on 



214 EPISCOPACY, 

the Episcopal standard for centuries." If such be the case, 
and if, as has been thought, Luther, Calvin, and others, might 
by a Httle more effort and patience have obtained Episcopal 
ordination for their Churches, it is difficult to conceive any- 
tenable ground of defence for a ministry not derived by suc- 
cession from the Apostles ; for it must be evident that the 
plea of successive presbyteries handing down the ministerial 
commission, (which is the High Church Presbyterian theory,) 
fails altogether when the above facts are taken into view. 

We now turn, 2d, to the Episcopal theory. At the pre- 
sent day, we find that the prevalence of a ministry of Bishops, 
Priests, and Deacons, is so great as to embrace by far the 
largest part of the Christian world. Whatever may be the 
corruptions of some branches of the Church, the Holy Scrip- 
tures and the Apostolic ministry have been preserved in 
their original integrity. And we beg the reader carefully 
to distinguish between the ministry itself, and all abuses and 
corruptions with which it may have become connected in 
certain Churches. It is easy, then, to trace Episcopacy by 
its lines of Bishops, not only back to the Reformation, but 
into the depths of antiquity, till we arrive at its origin in the 
days of the Apostles. The Protestant Episcopal Church in 
the United States, has her catalogue of Bishops back to the 
year 1787. In that year. Bishops White and Provoost were 
consecrated in England ; and in 1784, Bishop Seabury, of 
Connecticut, received consecration in Scotland. From that 
date, the chain of Bishops may be traced by name for a period 
of about 1200 years. At an age still earlier than this, the 
British Church was represented in councils by its Bishops, 
and we are landed, with scarcely an effort, in an age when 
the direct successors of the Apostles, (and probably St. Paul 
himself,) declared the gospel among the ancient inhabitants 
of Britain. If we take the Romish or the Greek Church, — 
both Episcopal, — the chain of succession is equally clear and 
unbroken. Apply the same test to any other Episcopal 



EPISCOPACY. 215 

Church,* and we arrive at the same result. In fact, it is 
only necessary to verify the succession as far back as the 
Reformation, to arrive at the proof of an Apostolical origin ; 
for, as we have already stated, hefore that era there was no 
ministry in existence but that which had come down direct 
from the Apostles ; i. e., the Episcopal. 

If it be alleged, that these Bishops were simply the ordi- 
nary Pastors of Churches, we prove the contrary by the 
united testimony of history ; — by the fact, that they only or- 
dained ; — that they only formed the councils of the Church, 
into which Presbyters, &c., were admitted simply by cour- 
tesy ; — that a manifest distinction between them and the in- 
ferior clergy is apparent from their duties, prerogatives, 
and titles ; and that in the writings of men who lived 1600 
or 1700 years ago, this distinction is as clear as in the works 
of Hobart and Ravenscroft, or the Canons of our General 
Convention. If the reader require proof, we refer him to 
the Epistles of Ignatius, from which we might quote at length 
did not our limits admonish us to be brief. 

That Episcopacy was universal at a period very little later 
than the apostolic age, is indeed freely admitted by many of 
its opponents, while they deny its divine origin, and its per- 
petual obligation in the Church. Now if there be any truth 
in history, it is clear that Episcopacy was the only ministry 
of the Church, not only near the apostolic age, but in imme- 
diate juxtaposition with it. There were no doubts on the 
subject — no controversies about it resembling those of our 
own day. Whence then did it come? How did it happen, 
that at the time when St. John died, (say A. D. 100,) all the 
world was Episcopal? Respecting some of the books of 
Scripture there were doubts expressed by some, and this for 
two or three centuries : yet we feel no hesitation now in rely- 



* The Methodist Episcopal excepted, which derived its Bishops from 
the Rev. John Wesley, a Presbyter of the Church of England. 



216 EPISCOPACY. 

ing on the ultimate decision of the Church. We receive the 
ancient canon of Scripture with unwavering faith, trusting in 
the testimony of the Church, notwithstanding the local doubts 
which had prevailed. Now as it respects the ministry, we 
read of but one universal opinion, in which all were agreed, 
viz., that it was Episcopal ; consequently, our persuasion of 
the existence of Episcopacy in immediate connection with 
the Apostles, should be firm and decided in the highest de- 
gree. We ask then, from whence did Episcopacy come? 
There can be but one answer — from the inspired Apostles 
and their Divine Master. And if we turn to the New Test- 
ament, there we find the evidence of its establishment. When 
our Lord was on earth. He was the Bishop of the infant 
Church. Under him were the twelve, in a secondary grade ; 
and below these the seventy, in the third grade. Immediately 
before the ascension, the twelve were solemnly advanced to 
the Episcopal office, by having new ministerial powers 
imparted to them. And in the future history of the Church, 
we find them exercising these peculiar powers, in ordaining, 
confirming, and in acts of jurisdiction, &c. Besides the 
Apostles, there were two other grades of ministers, viz.. 
Presbyters or Elders, (also called Bishops, so long as the 
superior order had the name of Apostles,) and the lower 
grade of Deacons. To the Apostles (Bishops proper) alone 
belonged the power of ordination. Hence we read nothing 
about ordinations by Presbyters or Deacons, nor are there any 
intimations in the New Testament that they possessed this 
power. Indeed, only one or two passages are alleged by 
Presbyterians, in vindication of their hypothesis. One of 
these, in the case of Timothy, we have already noticed. 
The other, in Acts xiii. 1-3, is singularly unfortunate, not 
being an ordination at all. Paul and Barnabas, on that 
occasion, were merely "separated" from their brethren, by 
command of the Holy Ghost, to undertake a certain mis- 
sionary tour ; having been in the ministry (and Apostles too) 



EPISCOPACY. 217 

for many years before. Nothing can be more clear, than that 
a ministry in one grade only, is not to be found in the New 
Testament ; and the few facts we have cited, to which if we 
had room, a multitude of others might be added, show that 
the several duties of the ministry were not performed in 
common by all ministers. Philip, the deacon, could not con- 
firm the Samaritans, — hence two Apostles went to them for 
that purpose. The elders at Ephesus could not ordain ; 
hence Timothy was sent there empowered with that author- 
ity: — ^jurisdiction and discipline were committed to Apostolic 
hands, and the elders, deacons, and laity were under their 
control. In short, if we believe that the ministry, as ordained 
by Jesus Christ and his inspired Apostles, was Episcopal, the 
New Testament is intelligible to any capacity ; but on any 
other hypothesis, its obscurities and difficulties are not only 
endless, but require a wide and perilous license of inter- 
pretation. 

We have seen then, that a ministry of Bishops, Priests, and 
Deacons, was established by the direct interposition of divine 
authority. To this the New Testament and the Church of 
all ages, are witness. It was foreshadowed by the three 
orders of the Jewish Church ; and after the lapse of long 
ages, is now the ministry of the Church Catholic. That it was 
to be perpetuated, is evident from the fact that the Church was 
to be perpetuated. In that Church a ministry was to exist ; 
and as authority was given only to one ministry, that, if any, 
must be the ministry of the Church. The powers of the 
sacred office are not of huma?i origin ; but if not human, then 
are they divine ; and if divine, then must they be obtained 
either directly or indirectly from the source of authority; if 
directly, they will be verified by miracle ; if indirectly, they 
will come by transmission through the line of Bishops from 
the Apostles, who were themselves constituted by the Son of 
God. 

Recurring to fact, we see that Episcopacy was perpetuated : 

19 



218 EPi 

but this can be said of no other ministry. Had not this been 
so, the Church must have had either no ministry at all, or one 
founded simply on human authority. On Episcopacy then, 
we can rest with a certainty of divine warrant ; with an 
assurance that its authority flows from the fountain of power; 
with a confidence of Gob's approbation, equal to that of any 
Christian living in the age of the Apostles. See Apostle. 
Bishop. Church. Deacon. Jure divino, and Unin- 
terrupted Succession. 

Episcopal. From Episcopus, (a Bishop,) denoting some 
relation between Bishops and the thing to which the term 
is applied. 

Episcopal Church. Properly, any Church possessing a 
ministry of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons. In its popular 
sense, those reformed Churches which have such a ministry ; 
e. g. the Church of England, with that of Scotland, Ireland, 
&c., and the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United 
States. To the latter branch, we shall for the most part con- 
fine our remarks. 

The ministerial order, sacraments, usages, &c., of this 
Church, it is the design of the present work to illustrate and 
explain. Of these we have endeavoured to treat under their 
appropriate heads ; and instead of attempting a synopsis, the 
reader is referred to the several articles on which he may 
desire information. 

The doctrines of the Protestant Episcopal Church, profess 
to be, in the strictest sense, evangelical, i. e. the very doc- 
trines set forth in the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, in all 
their simplicity and harmony, — free from the entanglements 
of metaphysics, and the heretical interpretations of modern 
specLilatists. Throughout the Liturgy, the Articles, &c., 
there is a constant recognition of the corruption of human 
nature ; — the inability of man " without faith and calling 
upon God," to perform works acceptable to Him; — the doc- 
trine Jof "justification and salvation only through the free 



EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 219 

grace of God in Jesus Christ" ; — the absolute necessity of a 
spiritual change, or renewing of the Holy Ghost; and the 
need of divine influence to promote and sustain the work of 
sanctification. These stand prominent among the doctrines 
of the Church, and eminently distinguish her as "the pillar 
and ground" of those great truths, on which alone depend 
the present hopes and the future deliverance of sinful man. 

With these cardinal principles of the Christian faith dis- 
tinctly defined in her standards, and maintained by her sons, 
the Church began her career in the colonies which now form 
the United States. It will easily be apprehended that the 
planting of the Gospel in a new and almost untrodden 
country, must demand no trifling amount of self-devotion and 
fortitude in those who undertake it. But there are also per- 
plexities, trials, and privations, which seldom meet the public 
eye, and are only to be appreciated by those whom Providence 
calls to endure them. And in the ordinary mode of con- 
ducting foreign missions under the Episcopal regimen, a 
further and peculiar disadvantage arises from the absence of 
the superior order of the ministry, and the consequent impos- 
sibility of carrying out fully the beneficial purposes of the 
Church. With a fair allotment of these lessons of patience, 
the Rev. Mr. Hunt, in company with a band of enterprising 
and pious Churchmen, landed, in the year 1607, on the coast 
of Virginia. How well they sped, and what are the " changes 
and chances" which time brings about, may be learned from 
their dismantled edifice, with its picturesque tower, yet to be 
seen on the bank of James River. 

In the south, with so zealous a beginning, the Church grew 
apace, notwithstanding the attempted administration of sundry 
buff*etings from the religionists of another quarter, and the 
drawbacks arising from a dependence on the mother country 
for Clergy and the necessary acts of jurisdiction. But in the 
northern colonies, where the Church stood in the minority in 
point of numbers, there was to be encountered a formidable 



220 EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 

train of obstacles, ia the intolerance of Puritanism, and 
the bitter persecuting spirit flowing from it. Yet, even in 
New-England, the least propitious of all climates for the 
growth of Episcopacy, there were founded churches enough 
to give hopes of a kindlier harvest in the time to come. 
Possibly too, it might have occurred to some of the pilgrim 
worthies, that having fled from England "for conscience' 
sake," there were means of refunding the chastisements 
of their ancient mother, far less exceptionable than the lex 
talionis — an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Mean- 
while, in New- York, Pennsylvania, and other provinces, 
the Church was blessed with a more tolerant reception, and 
gradually won its way to some distinction, though surround- 
ed by influences not the most favorable. Maryland and Vir- 
ginia gave a direct protection to the Church, and it there 
assumed the dignity and enjoyed the provision of a legal 
establishment. Elsewhere the number of the Clergy was 
small, and their maintenance precarious, till the organization 
in the early part of the 18th century, of the "Society for 
the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts." From 
the funds of this noble Institution, the Clergy north and east 
of Maryland drew their supplies, with the exception of those 
located in some of the more considerable towns. And yet, 
down to the beginning of the revolutionary war, there were 
only about 80 clergymen in all the northern and middle 
colonies. In the south, however, their number was greater, 
and their principles met with less opposition. 

The most serious difficulty affecting the Church, was the 
entire absence of Episcopal oversight. To the Bishop of 
London, indeed, was committed the care of the American 
Churches ; but " it is evident that his authority could not be 
effectually exerted, at such a distance, for the removing of 
unworthy clergymen ;" as to confirmations, they were im- 
possible ; and in cases of admission to the ministry, the 
candidates were under the necessity of visiting England to 



EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 221 

receive their ordination. Objections too, of a political or 
civil nature, were advanced in some provinces, and when at- 
tempts were made for the obtaining of a Bishop, fears were 
openly expressed, respecting the extent of the powers with 
which such a dignitary might come invested, and whether 
they might not come in collision with " the principles on 
which the settlement of the Colonies had taken place." 

During the revolutionary war, these obstacles to the 
growth of the Church were increased tenfold. Many of the 
Clergy fled to the mother country, and others could not be 
obtained to fill their places, and those who remained were 
scrupulous concerning the use or omission of such por- 
tions of the service which contained allusions to the civil 
powers. The consequence was, that the services of the 
Church were very generally suspended, and the stipends from 
the Society above-mentioned, were finally withdrawn from 
the Clergy who remained. 

On the termination of the war, and the acknowledgment 
by Great Britain of the independence of America, some 
relief was experienced by the passing of an act of Parlia- 
ment, allowing the then Bishop of London to ordain, without 
requiring promises of allegiance to the British Crown, several 
gentlemen who had gone to England for that purpose. Still 
this was but a partial relief; and the need of an Episcopate 
was now more painfully felt than before the war. The 
Church was destitute of unity, government, provision for its 
Clergy, and incapable of acting to any advantage, or of 
preserving uniformity in the public services. 

To remove these evils, the first step was taken in May, 
1784, at a meeting of a few Clergy of New- York, New- 
Jersey, and Pennsylvania, at New-Brunswick, N. J. Though 
this meeting was called on other business, yet the project of 
a general union of the Churches throughout the States became 
a topic of sufficient interest to lead to the calling of another 
meeting, to be held in October following, in the city of New- 
19* 



222 EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 

York. At this latter meeting, " although the members com- 
posing it were not vested with powers adequate to the pre- 
sent exigencies of the Church ; they happily and with great 
unanimity laid down a few general principles, to be recom- 
mended in the respective States, as the ground on which a 
future ecclesiastical government should be established."* It 
was also recommended that the several States should send 
clerical and lay-deputies to a further meeting in Philadelphia, 
on September 2Tth of the following year. In the interim, 
the Churches of Connecticut having made choice of the Rev. 
Dr. Seabury for a Bishop, he had proceeded to England, with 
a view to consecration. In this application he was not suc- 
cessful, the English Bishops having scruples, partly of a po- 
litical nature and partly relative to the reception which a 
Bishop might meet, under the then imperfect organization of 
the Church. Resort "was therefore had to the Church in 
Scotland, where Dr. Seabury received consecration in No- 
vember, 1784. 

According to appointment, the 1st General Convention 
assembled in 1785, in Philadelphia, with delegates from seven 
of the thirteen States. At this Convention measures were 
taken for a revisal of the Prayer-book, to adapt it to the po- 
litical changes which had recently taken place ; — articles of 
union were adopted ; — an ecclesiastical constitution was 
framed ; and the first steps taken for the obtaining of an 
Episcopate direct from the Church of England. 

In June, 1786, the Convention again met in Philadelphia, 
a correspondence having meanwhile been carried on with the 
Archbishops and Bishops of the English Church. Consider- 
able dissatisfaction was expressed on their part relative to 
some changes in the Liturgy, and to one point of importance 
in the constitution. The latter of these was satisfied by the 
action of the present session, and the former removed by re- 

* Bishop White's Memoirs of the Church, 



EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 223 

consideration in a Special Convention summoned in October 
of the same year. It now appearing that Dr. Provoost had 
been elected to the Episcopate of New-York, Dr. White to 
that of Pennsylvania, and Dr. Griffith for Virginia, testimo- 
nials in their favor were signed by the Convention. The two 
former sailed for England in November, 1786, and were con- 
secrated at Lambeth, on the 4th of February in the follow- 
ing year, — by the Most Rev. John Moore, Archbishop of 
Canterbury. Before the end of the same month, they sailed 
for New-York, where they arrived on Easter Sunday, 
April 7th. 

In July, 1789, the General Convention again assembled. 
The Episcopacy of Bishops White and Provoost was recog- 
nized ; — the resignation of Dr. Griffith as Bishop elect of 
Virginia, was received ; and in this and an adjourned meeting 
of the body, in the same year, the Constitution of 1786 was 
remodelled ; — union was happily effected with Bishop Sea- 
bury and the Northern Clergy ; — the revision of the Prayer- 
book was completed ; and the Church already gave promise 
of great future prosperity. 

In September, 1790, Dr. Madison was consecrated Bishop 
of Virginia, at Lambeth, in England, by the same Arch- 
bishop who, a few years before, had imparted the Apostolic 
commission to Drs. White and Provoost. There being now 
three Bishops of the English succession, besides one of the 
Scotch, every thing requisite for the continuation and exten- 
sion of the Episcopacy was complete. Accordingly, the line 
of American consecrations opened in 1792, with that of Dr. 
Claggett, Bishop elect of Maryland. In 1795, Dr. Smith 
was consecrated for South Carolina ; in 1797, the Rev. Ed- 
ward Bass, for Massachusetts ; and in the same year, Dr. 
Jarvis for Connecticut, that Diocese having become vacant 
by the death of Bishop Seabury. From that time, the con- 
secration of Bishops has proceeded, according to the wants of 
the Church, without impediment, to the present day. 



224 EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 

At the beginning of the present century, the Church had 
become permanently settled in its organization, and its sta- 
bility and peace were placed on a secure footing. In 1811, 
there were already eight Bishops, and about two hundred 
and thirty other Clergymen, distributed through thirteen 
States. A spirit of holy enterprise began to manifest itself 
in measures for the building up of the Church west of the 
Alleghany Mountains, and in other portions of the country 
where heretofore it had maintained but a feeble existence. 
The ministry numbered in its ranks, men of the first intel- 
lectual endowments, and of admirable self-devotion to the 
cause of the gospel. With a steady progress, unawed by 
the assaults of sectarianism, and the reproaches of the fanatic, 
the Church gradually established itself in the affections of all 
who came with a spirit of candour to the examination of her 
claims. The blessing of her great Head was apparent, not 
only in the peace which adorned her councils, but in the de- 
mands which were continually made for a wider extension 
of her influence. Hence the establishment of her General 
Theological Seminary, and afterwards of the " Domestic and 
Foreign Missionary Society," — both of which institutions 
were instrumental in providing heralds of the gospel, for the 
distant places of the west. These were followed by the Dio- 
cesan Seminaries of Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky, and ef- 
forts for the founding of several in other Dioceses. 

At the General Convention of 1835, the whole Church 
assumed the position of one grand missionary organization, 
and has already her bands of missionaries labouring in the 
cause of the Church, in the remotest districts of the country : 
and her banner has been lifted up in Africa, China, Greece, 
and other foreign parts. With her seventeen Bishops, and 
more than twenty Dioceses ; — with her numerous societies 
for the spread of the Bible and the Liturgy ; and with her 
institutions of learning, and presses constantly pouring out 
the light of truth, may we not predict, under the Divine pro- 



EPi 225 

tection, a day of coming prosperity, when Zion shall be a 
praise in all the earth ; — when her temples and her altars 
shall be seen on the far-off shores of the Pacific ;— when even 
"the wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for 
them ; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the 
rose." 

« 

Episcopal Habit. The robes and other ecclesiastical 
garments, worn only by a Bishop, as distinguished from the 
surplice and gown, which are also used by Priests and 
Deacons. 

Episcopalian. One who is attached to the doctrines, 
order, and usages of an Episcopal Church. See Church- 
man. 

Episcopate. The office, order, and dignity of a Bishop. 

Episcopus puerorum. See Boy-bishop. 

Epistler. In the ancient Church, and the Church of 
England, one of the Clergy appointed to read the Epistle. 
The 24th Canon of the Church of England ordains, that " in 
all Cathedral and Collegiate Churches, the Holy Communion 
shall be administered upon principal feast-days, — sometimes 
by the Bishop, if he be present, and sometimes by the Dean, 
and at sometimes by a Canon or Prebendary, — the principal 
minister using a decent Cope, and being assisted with the 
Gospeller and Epistler agreeably," &c. 

Epistle. The name designating that portion of one of the 
Apostolical Epistles, which is read in the Communion office, 
immediately before the Gospel. 

In the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, it was customary 
in both the Greek and Latin Church, to introduce some por- 
tions of the New Testament, in the form of Lessons. These 
were selected from the Epistles and Gospels, and frequently 
formed the subjects of exposition in the sermons and homilies 
delivered at the time. " During the early ages," says Pal- 
mer, " the lesson which is now ordinarily designated as the 
Epistle, was more generally known by the appellation of 



226 EST 

" the Apostle." We find it generally called by this name in 
the ancient liturgies, and the writings of the Fathers. Thus 
Augustine often speaks of it ; and in the sacramentary of 
Gregory the Great, it is said, — " the Apostle follows," (Se- 
quitur Apostolus,) meaning the Epistle or Apostolical writ- 
ing is then read. In the patriarchate of Constantinople, 
where ancient customs have been preserved more perfectly 
than any where else, the Epistle is called " the Apostle " 
to this day. In the west, this lesson has, however, long been 
known by the name of " the Epistle," being most commonly 
taken from the Epistles of St. Paul."* 

The appointment and selection of these Epistles are of no 
very modern date. In the most ancient formularies of the 
Church of England, we find them as they now stand ; and 
having been introduced into that Church by Augustine, Arch- 
bishop of Canterbury, they have been regularly used for a 
period of more than 1200 years. 

EsDRAs. In the catalogue of books of Scripture, in the 
6th Article of Religion, we read, among others, of the " First 
and Second books of Esdras,^' By these are meant those 
which are now called Ezra and Nehemiah. Ezra was the 
compiler of both, and on this account they were, probably, 
called by his name, Esdras, being the same with Ezra. 

Estate, or Estates. In the Prayer-book this word is 
chiefly used in a sense now almost obsolete, except in solemn 
discourse and devotional books. In the Exhortation in the 
Visitation of the Sick, we read, " I require you to examine 
yourself and your estate, both toward God and man," — that 
is, that the sick person should examine into his spiritual 
standing or condition, both as it respects God and man, that 
he may seek forgiveness where he has offended, and make 
restitution if he has injured or defrauded his neighbour. 

In the Ordering of Deacons, it is declared to be their duty 

* Origines Lilurgicae, I. p. 42. 



EVA 227 

** to search for the sick, poor, and impotent people of the 
Parish, to intimate their estates, names, and places where they 
dwell, unto the Curate," &c. Here it seems to refer to 
their temporal condition merely, which, if necessary, is to be 
" relieved with the alms of the parishioners and others." 

Again. In the second Collect for Good Friday, we pray 
" for all estates of men," in the Church, that is, for all classes 
of Christians, whatever m.ay be their temporal condition, or 
their rank in the Church, all being equally in need of strength 
from God, that, " in their vocation and ministry, they may 
truly and godly serve him." 

Eucharist. The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, or 
Holy Communion. See Communion, Holy. 

Eulogies. " The Eucharistical bread and wine, which 
the ancient Christians used to send from one Church and Dio- 
cese to another, in token of friendship and communion."* 
The following ancient Canons have relation to this custom. 
" That the holy (Mysteries) be not carried into other parishes 
on the feast of Easter, by way of Eulogies. "■\ " That the 
Eulogies of heretics ought not to be received ; for they are 
rather Alogies, that is, nonsensical things, than Eulogies, that 
is, blessings. "J 

Evangelical. The plain sense of this word is simply, 
according to the Gospel, or " Evangel,"§ (sud^yJXiov,) of our 
Lord Jesus Christ. This is the sense in which the term is 
recognized by the Church, as characteristic of her doctrines, 
liturgy, sacraments, ministry, «Sz;c. For as these preserve 
an exact correspondence with the pattern prescribed in the 
gospel, we only express this in other words, when we call 
them evangelical. As therefore the Church is evangelical 
throughout, all who carry out her teachings must come under 



* Johnson on the Canonical Codes. t Canon xiv. of Laodicea. 

[. t Canon xxxii. of Laodicea. § Now obsolete. 



228 EVA 

the same designation ; and any narrower application of the 
term must evidently be invidious. A Clergyman will be 
evangelical, just so far as he faithfully and honestly abides 
by the doctrines, order, worship, &c., of the Church, and the 
more strict, the more evangelical. Conversely, in proportion 
as he departs from her standards, or forces upon them novel 
interpretations, he sacrifices in the same degree, his legitimate 
claim to the distinction. 

Evangelist. In the present day, an appellation proper 
for any lawful minister who is sent forth to preach the Gos- 
pel of Christ, — whether he be a Bishop, Priest, or Deacon. 
Timothy was an Evangelist, and also Bishop of Ephesus. 
Philip, who was a Deacon, is also called an Evangelist. In 
view of the various opinions which have been held relative 
to the true office of the New Testament Evangelists, the fol- 
lowing admirable observations of a Church of England divine, 
are well worth reflection : — 

" St. John and St. Matthew wereApostles and Evangelists : — 
St. Mark a Bishop and Evangelist : — St. Luke an Evangel- 
ist ; and yet, as is commonly believed, one of the seventy : — 
Philip was certainly both a Deacon and Evangelist. We know 
why four of these are called Evangelists, viz : — because they 
were so well skilled in the history of our Saviour's life and 
death, as to give it us in writing. By parity of reason, all 
others called Evangelists, were such as made it their study 
and business to make themselves acquainted with our Sa- 
viour's actions, and sermons, and sufferings, and to relate 
such passages of them in the public congregation as the pre- 
sent occasion required. And this was as useful and edifying 
an office as any in the Church of God, and it was extremely 
necessary for some years after our Saviour's ascension ; for 
it was a good while before the Gospels were written, and 
much longer still before they were dispersed and universally 
received. During all this time, the Evangelist who could 
confirm any great truth, add weight to any advice or repre- 



EVE 229 

hension, by rehearsing any discourse, or relating any mo- 
mentous passage of our Saviour's life and death, must have 
frequent and great occasion to exercise his abilities. But 
when the four Gospels were committed to writing, and were 
in every man's hand, this office of course ceased ; nor is 
there any mention of such officers in the history of the Church 
of the ages next to the Apostles. It is not necessary to sup- 
pose that any miraculous gifts were required to qualify a man, 
for this office ; the Holy Ghost assisted him only in calling 
to remembrance what he had seen and heard by conversing 
with our Saviour himself, or learned from those who were 
tnemselves eye-witnesses."* 

EvANGELisTARiuM, or EvANGELiARiUM. A book Con- 
taining those portions of the Gospels appointed to be read in 
the Communion service. 

Eve, or Even. The night or evening before certain 
holy-days of the Church. In former times it was customary 
to have religious services on these Eves, and sometimes to 
spend a great part of the night in prayer and other devotions, 
to qualify the soul for the better observance of the Festival 
itself on the morrow. These nights, thus spent, were called. 
Vigils or Watchings, and are still professedly observed in 
the Church of England, &c. 

In the American Church no special services have been ap- 
pointed for them, with the single exception of Easter Even, 
for which a Collect, Epistle, and Gospel, together with appro- 
priate Lessons, are provided. See Easter Even. 

Evening. In the present usage of the Church, there 
seems to be some little deviation occasio.nally from the ori- 
ginal intention of the framers of our Liturgy, by turning our 
Evening into an Afternoon service. That the " Evening 
Prayer " was designed to be used at the close of the day^ or 
late in the afternoon, is evident from the language of the 

* Johnson on the Canonical Codes, p. xlii. 
20 



230 EVE 

Collect, as it stands in the English Prayer-book : — " Lighten 
our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord, and by thy great 
mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night," 
&;c. Here, in the opening words, is a beautiful allusion to 
the decline of day, and the approach of the " evening shades." 
The direct reference, also, to the night, which has been pre- 
served in the American Prayer-book, indicates the same 
position of the Evening service. 

Evening Song. The form for Evening prayer, anciently 
so called. 

Evergreens. 

" Christmas, the joyous period of the year! 
Now bright with holly, all the temples strewn 
With laurel green, and verdant misletoe." 

The practice of adorning Churches and dwellings with 
evergreens at the season of Christmas, may be traced back 
to a very remote age, when the minds of Christians were in- 
fluenced by something deeper and purer than mere supersti- 
tion and fancy. The Advent of our Lord was annually cele- 
brated with universal joy, and demonstrations of gratitude, 
rising almost to enthusiasm. It was a time of triumph ; — 
the feast, the anthem, the suspension of the ordinary avoca- 
tions of life, and of the public games ; — the crowded tem- 
ples ; — the eucharist, and the decoration of the Churches 
with boughs and garlands of evergreen, — all proclaimed it a 
religious jubilee, worthy to be styled by St. Chrysostom, " the 
metropolis and mother of all festivals." 

From this, the reader will learn the primary design of a 
custom now grown venerable in the Church. It is expressive 
of the glory and triumph which marked the incarnation of 
the Son of God — a triumph in which the Church partakes, 
realizing the language of prophecy, " The glory of Lebanon 
shall come unto thee, the fir-tree, the pine-tree, and the box 
together, to beautiff the place of my sanctuary ; and I will 



EVE 231 

make the place of my feet glorious."* But beyond this, 
these decorations " intimate to the eye of faith, that everlast- 
ing freshness, verdure, beauty, and peace, which we hope to 
enjoy in the Church triumphant, through the merits of the 
divine Saviour, ' who came as at this time ' to purchase our 
emancipation from the thraldom of sin and wo.""!" 

Who could have imagined that a custom so innocent and 
so highly emblematical of those imperishable gifts bought for 
us by the Lord of Life, should have the ill fortune to meet 
with obloquy, in an age of light and discernment ? We ask 
the objector, whether emblems are sinful ? — whether they are 
not sanctioned by revelation ? — whether they are not vindi- 
cated by the practice of " holy men of old "? — whether they 
may not sometimes be stimulants to a sluggish devotion ; 
and whether, in the present case, they are not replete with 
meaning, and with associations dear to a Christian heart ? 
We see no essential difference between an emblem gathered 
from the forest, and an emblem in paper and print, or one 
which may drop from the lips of a fervid speaker. To enter 
then, into the philosophy of the matter, is either to anni- 
hilate the objection, or to sweep from the sabred Scriptures 
themselves a thousand tropes and figures, if not to apply the 
same hypercriticism to the parables of One " who spake as 
never man spake." 

" Every Petition." In a rubric near the end of the Com- 
munion Office, it is ordered that " the Minister shall say the 
Lord's Prayer, the people repeating after him every petition.^' 
In this there appears to be an indirect precaution against the 
practice of the Romish Church, where the greater part of 
the Lord's Prayer being recited by the Priest alone, the peo- 
ple join in the concluding words, as a signal for which, the 
Priest elevates his voice. 

The propriety and beauty of all joining in this prayer, and 

♦ Isaiah, U. 13. t Rev. Dr. Rudd. 



232 Exc 

in every petition of it, now that they have sealed their vows of 
love to the Redeemer, and of brotherly affection to each 
other, is too evident .to need remark. 

Excommunicate, a. In the state of excommunication. 
This word occurs in the Order for the Burial of the Dead, 
where, (in the first Rubric) it is said, " the office ensuing is 
not to be used for any unbaptized Adults, [nor] any who die 
excommunicate,'''' &c. — that is, any who, for their great 
crimes, have, by the lawful authority, been rejected from a 
place and a name in the Church of God. 

The reason why the Burial Service is not to be read over 
these, is a very obvious one. That service takes for granted 
that all who deserve Christian burial, have died in commu- 
nion with the Church, or at least, have been numbered 
among her children. But inasmuch as the unbaptized have 
never been admitted to that Church, and the excommunicated 
have been repelled from it, this service cannot and ought not 
to be used in either case. 

Excommunicate, v. To banish or expel from the Church, 
any member who has been found guilty of a heinous crime. 
See Excommunication. 

Excommunication. The separation or rejection of an 
unwortliy person from the communion of the Church. This 
awful sentence is never passed on an accused person, till, by 
a careful, merciful, and impartial examination, his guilt has 
been ascertained. By excommunication, a person is cut off 
from the privilege of partaking of the Lord's Supper, and is 
excluded from that affectionate intercourse and communion 
which should subsist among the faithful people of God. It 
would seem, therefore, that the Church, in such extreme and 
severe cases of discipline, should cautiously guard against a 
rash and hasty judgment. And accordingly, the laws of the 
Church require the plainest evidence of guilt, and give to 
the accused, both time and means to establish his innocence 
(if possible) before judgment is pronounced. But when the 



EXT 233 

offender's guilt has been proved, and sentence given against 
him, then it becomes a part of Christian duty, to regard him 
no longer as worthy of the privileges, but entitled only to the 
prayers, of the Church he has thus contemned. In the 
33d Article of Religion may be seen the views of the 
Church in relation to intercourse with excommunicated 
persons. 

Exhortation. An address made at any time to the peo- 
ple, to move or persuade them to their duty. The term, 
however, is chiefly applied to that affectionate appeal which 
stands at the opening of the Morning and Evening Prayer, 
beginning, " Dearly beloved brethren, the Scripture moveth 
us," &c. This, by way of distinction, is called, " The Ex- 
hortation." Other exhortations of an appropriate character, 
may be found in most of the principal Offices (or Services) 
of the Church, — as in the Order for the Holy Communion — 
the Form of Baptism — -the Visitation of the Sick, &c. &c. 

"Ex OFFICIO." By virtue of official rank. Thus in cer« 
tain assemblies, &c., a Bishop is President, ex oficio, or from 
the fact of his holding the office of a Bishop. 

Expectation week. See Ascension. 

Extemporary, or Extempore. Any thing which is pub- 
licly spoken, without previous study, or without being com- 
mitted to writing. An extempore sermrni^ (so called,) is one 
which is delivered without notes, or with the aid only of a 
brief analysis. In this application, the word is used in a 
strained and improper sense, though justified by usage and 
common consent. For, the leading idea which it suggests, is 
that of thoughts uttered from the impulse of the moment, ex, 
eluding any direct act of previous composition and study ; 
whereas extempore discourses are frequently the result of 
close and careful application, and the term, in strictness, is 
true only of the language employed, and the incidental 
thoughts which spring up and are interwoven in the delivery. 

An extempore prayer is one which is framed at the tinie 
20* 



234 EXT 

when it is offered. In Episcopal Churches the prayers for 
public service are precomposed, and are thus distinguished 
from such as are merely extempore ; but in other religious 
societies this is not usually the case, the prayers being gene- 
rally composed by the officiating person at the time when 
uttered. Like extempore sermons, these prayers are to be 
considered as the offspring of previous thought and medita- 
tion, though the language and actual composition may be 
entitled to the name of extempore. 

The comparative advantages of extempore and precom- 
posed prayers we reserve for the Article, Liturgy. See also 
Canon XLV. of the Qeneral Convention. 

Extreme unction. The ceremony of anointing the sick 
with oil, as practised in the Church of Rome, and said to be 
founded on those words of St. James, " Is any sick among 
you, let him send for the elders of the Church," &;c. 

There is, however, no proof in . Scripture that this custom 
was an Apostolical Ordinance designed to be continued in the 
Church. A clear proof to the contrary would seem to arise 
from the fact, that St. James refers to the miraculous healing 
of the sick by the elders of the Church, many of whom, at 
that time, were endued with the power of working miracles. 
If " extreme unction" were accompanied with miracles or 
the restoration of the sick person, the custom might com- 
mand more consideration. But, if we are not mistaken, it 
i3 not practised in the Romish Church, with a view to the 
kealing of the sufferer, but rather as the last of all religious 
yites, to be administered only when hope of life is past, and 
the frame is fast sinking into the slumber of death. 

Extreme unction, or, (as we may interpret this somewhat 
uncouth name,) the anointing at the extremity of life, has 
been raised to the dignity of a Sacrament, by the Romanists. 
There is no proof, however, that it was ordained as such by 
the institution of Christ. Against this corruption, therefore, 
the 25th Article is in part directed ; in which. Baptism 



FAS 235 

and the Lord's Supper are recognized as the only Sacraments 
of the Church, while Extreme Unction, among others, is con- 
sidered as having taken the rank of a Sacrament through a 
perversion of Scripture, or by " the corrupt following of the 
Apostles." 



F. 

"Fain." Pleased, delighted, or rejoiced. An antiquated 
word occurring in Psalm 71, verse 21, in the Prayer-book 
version : " My lips will he fain [joyful] when I sing to thee." 

" Faithful men." In the 19th Article, the Church is 
described as " a congregation oi faithful men^^ &c. The 
epithet " faithful," is here used with the same latitude which 
is necessary in the application to the Church of the term 
" holy ;" not meaning that all who belong to it are holy and 
faithful, but that the principles of the Church require them 
so to be. And as the design of the Church is to promote 
holiness, the definition should correspond with the design, 
however true it may be that some in her pale may not live 
up to the solemn profession they have made. That this 
limitation is to be understood, may be proved from the latter 
part of this same Article, which asserts that the Churches of 
Jerusalem, Alexandria, Antioch, and Rome, though compre- 
hended under the definition of " the Church,''^ have " erred, 
not only in their living and manner of Ceremonies, but also 
in matters of faith." 

Fasting. Abstinence from food. By the regulations of 
the Church, fasting, though not defined as to its degree, is in- 
culcated on seasons of peculiar penitence and humiliation, 
as a valuable auxiliary to the cultivation of habits of devo- 
tion and self-denial. Respecting its usefulness, there does 
not appear to have been much diversity of opinion until late 



236 FASTING. 

years. Fasting was customary in the Church of God, long 
before the introduction of Christianity, as may be seen in the 
Old Testament Scriptures. That it was sanctioned by our 
Saviour and his Apostles, is equally plain. And that it was 
intended to continue in the future Church can scarcely be 
questioned ; for Christ gave his disciples particular instruc- 
tions respecting it, and in reprobating the abuses of it among 
the Pharisees, never objects to its legitimate use. He even 
declares, that after his ascension his disciples should fast : 
" The days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken 
away from them, and then shall they fast in those days."* 
Accordingly, in the Acts of the Apostles occur several no- 
tices of fastings connected with religious devotions. St. Paul 
evidently practised it with some degree of frequency.f He 
also recognises the custom, as known in the Corinthian 
Church, and makes some observations implying its con- 
tinuance. f From the days of the Apostles to the present 
time, fasting has been regarded, under various modifications, 
as a valuable auxiliary to penitence. In former times. Chris- 
tians were exceedingly strict in abstaining from every kind 
of food, for nearly the whole of the appointed fast-days, re- 
ceiving only at stated times what was actually necessary for 
the support of life. At the seeison of Lent, much time was 
spent in mortification and open confession of sin, accom- 
panied by those outward acts, which tend to the control of 
the body and its appetites ; a species of godly discipline still 
associated with the services of that interesting period of the 
ecclesiastical year. 

In the practice of fasting, the intelligent Christian will not 
rest in the outward act, but regard it only as a means to a 
good end. All must acknowledge that this restraint, even 
upon the innocent appetites of the body, is eminently bene- 



* Luke, V. 35. t 2 Cor. xi. 27. 1 1 Cor. vii. 5. 



FAT 237 

ficial in assisting the operations of the mind. It hrings the 
animal part of our nature into greater subservience to the 
spiritual. " It tends to prevent that heaviness and indolence 
of the faculties, as well as that perturbation of the passions, 
which often proceed from the indulgence and repletion of the 
body. It is thus highly useful in promoting that calmness of 
mind, and clearness of thought, which are so very favorable 
to meditation and devotion."* The great end of the observ- 
ance is to , " afflict the soul," and to increase a genuine con- 
trition of heart, and godly sorrow for sin. This being under- 
stood, abstinence will be approved of God, and made con- 
ducive to a growth in spiritual life. 

Fasts. Those holy-days which are appointed by the 
Church, as seasons of abstinence and peculiar sorrow forsin. 
These are Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and the forty days 
of Lent ; the Ember days, the three Rogation days, and all 
the Fridays in the year, except Christmas day. See Fasting. 

"Father of heaven." In the Litany. "O God, the 
Father of heaven, &c." (Pater coelestis.) Two different 
readings and interpretations have been given of this passage. 

1. That which places the comma after •' Father," giving this 
invocation the same form or figure with the two succeeding, — 
thus: "O God the Father," &c. "O God the Son," &c. 
"O God the Holy Ghost," &c. the predicates in each case 
thus bearing a similarity of relation to the subject or title. 

2. That which follows the printed editions, with the comma 
after " God." The sense will then be that of " ioW, or 
Creator^ of heaven," which unquestionably breaks in upon 
the gradation of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, by substituting 
the general word God, for the personal title of Father. The 
best authorities seem therefore to prefer the former interpre- 
tation, notwithstanding the sacrifice of euphony, and a de- 
parture from the common punctuation, these being lesser evils 
than a trespass on the doctrinal drift of the whole passage. 

♦ Doddridge. 



238 FON 

Fathers. An appellation given to those Bishops and 
other ecclesiastical writers who distinguished themselves in 
the early ages of the Church. The value of their writings, 
in the present day, arises from the testimony they afford to 
facts connected with the doctrines, usages, &c., of the Church, 
in the period when they flourished, and also for the deep and 
saintly feeling of devotion with which they are generally 
pervaded. See Apostolic Fathers. 

Feast. See Holy-days. 

Festivals. Those holy-days of the Church on which 
we gratefully commemorate some event in the life of our 
Lord, or the virtues and example of the Apostles and Saints. 
These have always been observed by the Christian Church, 
as seasons of peculiar joy ; and appropriate public services 
have been appointed for them. See Holy-days. 

" Finally." A term occurring near the middle of the 
Prayer for all Conditions of men, — the propriety and object 
of which is not, at first sight, very clear to the young reader. 
It appears that this prayer was at first drawn up to supply 
the want of a general supplication on those days when the 
Litany was not appointed to be read. Wheatly states that 
originally it was " much longer than it is now, and that the 
throwing out a great part of it, which consisted of petitions for 
the King, the Royal family. Clergy, &c., who are prayed for 
in the other Collects, was the occasion why the word finally 
comes in so soon in so short a prayer." This is probably 
the true explanation of the difficulty; the word was inad- 
vertently retained, or preferred to the remodelling of the 
prayer. 

'\FoND." Foolish, silly, imprudent. See the 22d Article. 
" Purgatory, Pardons, Worshipping, and Adoration * * * * 
and also, Invocation of Saints, is a fond thing vainly in- 
vented," &c. 

Font. A vessel usually placed in or near the Chancel of 
a Church, to contain water for the administration of Baptism. 



FONT. 239 

In the early Church, the forits were of considerable size, the 
smallest being large enough to admit the entire immersion of 
the person. After the practice of baptizing in rivers, ponds, 
and fountains, had continued for some lime, Christians were 
driven, by persecution and the fear of disturbance, to adopt 
places of more privacy for the administration of this rite ; 
artificial fountains {or fonts) were therefore erected, and soon 
came into general use. In after ages, these were built in a 
costly style, and were consecrated with many frivolous cere- 
monies. Between the eleventh and fifteenth centuries, amid 
the sway of Gothic architecture, fonts and baptisteries sprang 
up every where, adorned with all the elegancies of that 
singularly beautiful style. The font itself was a cistern 
hewn sometimes from the solid rock, embellished on all sides, 
by the chisel, with rich bands of foliage and sculptured 
flowers, and such other delicate ornaments as the taste of the 
artist might suggest. The buildings in which the fonts were 
placed, were of similar magnificence. At first, they were 
built at some distance from the Church, but were afterwards 
allowed to stand in the porch of the Church, intimating that 
baptism is the entrance into the Church mystical. They 
were next placed in the Church itself, "but not in every one, 
but only the city church where the Bishop resided, which was 
called the ' Mother Church,'' because it gave spiritual birth 
by baptism." Afterwards they were brought inside the 
country churches, " with this limitation, however, that they 
should occupy only the lower end." It appears also to have 
been a custom to place them in a separate part of the building 
in cathedrals and other spacious churches, where this could 
conveniently be done. 

Some time after these arrangements, and towards the period 
of the Reformation, the fonts began to fall into disrepute, and 
in the end, immersion being for the most part abolished, they 
gradually diminished in size, and finally reached the com- 



240 



FOR 



paratively small dimensions in which we now have them in 
our Churches. 

It is to be regretted that so decent and useful an appendage 
to a Church, does not every where take its place, and banish 
the unsightly and scarcely tolerable basins, &c., which are 
frequently substituted for it. 

" For the Epistle." Before reading the Epistle for the 
day, the rubric enjoins that the Minister shall say, " The 

Epistle is written in the chapter of , beginning at," &c. 

But on certain days, some other portion of Scripture is ap- 
pointed instead of the Epistle, in which case the above prefix 
is substituted by saying, "The portion of Scripture appoint- 
ed/or the Epistle,^^ &c. ; that is, in the place of it. See Ash 
Wednesday, Monday and Tuesday before Easter, Monday 
and Tuesday in Easter week. Ascension day, Whitsunday, &c. 

Form. An established order, by which the offices of reli- 
gion are performed. Hence there are forms, or modes of 
proceeding, in the public worship of all denominations of 
Christians ; forms of prayer, forms of praise, forms in the 
administration of sacraments, and in the customary arrange- 
ments of the several parts of divine service. 

In the Episcopal Church, the term usually denotes the 
ritual, and the order prescribed for the performance of the 
sacred offices of the Church, as also, in certain cases, the 
private devotions of her members. The peculiar advantages 
of forms of prayer, we shall consider more at length under 
the head of Liturgy, and shall here only add, that, con- 
stituted as man is, there must and will be forms, in far the 
greater part of his religious exercises. There is an inward 
and an outward part, and God demands the allegiance of both ; 
but the outward part can act only through the medium of a 
form. This may be extempore, or otherwise. Still, what- 
ever shape it assumes, it is a. form. A Liturgy is nothing 
more than a. fixed or ready-made form, by which the embar- 
rassments and evils of forms springing from the impulse of 



FORM. 241 

the moment, are effectually prevented. If this were duly 
considered, all objections would cease, because, if carried 
out, they must lie against all outward modes of devotion. 
To say that external forms do not act favourably in the 
preservation of a high spiritual tone within, but that the 
luxuriance of the one is a sure prognostic of the decay 
of the other, is mere verbiage. The objector does not, 
in fact, proceed on the ground of his own objection. 
Else why does Ms Christianity exhibit any outward appara- 
tus at all 1 He may differ from us very much in the amount 
of form, but certainly very little in the principle. " Religion, 
not forms," says the mystic. " Let us kneel and adore,^^ re- 
plies the Churchman. In truth, one half of religion will in- 
evitably be of the nature of form. We do not say mere 
form — M'/i ^t'vojro ! — but form, as the manifestation of living 
principle.. Faith has its form, or its exterior, or its ceremo- 
nial, in good works ; lovie, in its sweet ministrations ; charity, 
in its open hand ; hope, in its radiant eye ; sympathy, in the 
throbbing heart ; contrition, in the tear ; repentance, in 
the sackcloth ; grief, in the sob ; and just so, the direct 
act of worship must have its form. The spoken prayer 
is a form. The triumphant anthem is a form, whether 
from the lip of the objector, or the tongue of the Churchman. 
And the fervor of the soul, — the ardour of the spirit's devo- 
tion, — is mightily enhanced by the very form of adoration. 
If then our ritual offers to the soul more frequent and more 
efficacious aids in its ascent to the realms of life, and if we 
are zealous that God should shine in all that he has made, 
(be it spiritual or material,) let us not be blamed. While 
body and soul are in union, religious worship will demand a 
form ; and we doubt not, that in the heavenly state it will be 
the happiness of the redeemed to join in the angelic liturgy, — 
" Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, 
and is to come."* See Ceremony, and Formality. 

♦ Rev. iv. 8. 
21 



242 FRA 

Formality. Strictly, formality is a conformity to estab- 
lished rites, modes of worship, customs, &c. ; but in the popu- 
lar sense, it denotes a punctilious regard to outward ceremonies 
and ordinances, disconnected from the inward and spiritual 
life of religion. In this sense it manifestly involves a moral 
delinquency, more or less hostile to the existence of true piety. 

The fear has sometimes been expressed, that the use of 
prescribed forms in public or private devotions, must have a 
strong tendency to produce formality in its worst sense ; 
and consequently, that the advantage lies altogether on the side 
of the extempore method. Now if this were so, the evil must 
extend to the reading of the Bible, for the Bible is undoubtedly 
a form ; therefore, this should be superseded by private con- 
templation. And for the same reason, "hymns and spiritual 
songs" should give way to the casual effusions of fancy. A 
form of prayer, is no more dangerous than a " form of doc- 
ti'ine," or a form of praise. Yet the objectors retain these, 
apprehending no ill consequences, and singularly unconscious 
of the broad scope of their own argument. Properly speak- 
ing, the evil is not in formality, but in mere formality — in the 
mechanical engagement of the outward sense, without the 
accompanying devotion of the spirit. There may be as 
deadly a formality under extempore efforts at prayer, as in 
alliance with the supplications of a liturgy. Paper and 
print are not the worst foes to spiritual advancement ; 
and it is the duty of the worshipper to be watchful against 
the treachery of an evil heart, in all times and places; know- 
ing that formality may steal away his devotion as readily 
when his lips express the fugitive thoughts of the moment, 
as when they utter the fervid language of martyrs and saints. 

Form for Thanksgiving. See Thanksgiving day. 

Formulary. A book, (the Prayer-book, for example,) 
containing the rites, ceremonies, and prescribed forms of the 
Church. 

"Fraud." Deceit, artifice, cunning; as in the expression, 



GHO Ii43 

"fraud and malice of the devil," * which is elsewhere spoken 
of as "the wiles of Satan," f and the ''crafts and assaults of 
the devil," :|: or the "craft and subtilty of the devil ;" J in 
allusion to those artful temptations of the adversary, by which 
the careless and irresolute are taken captive. •' O ye worldly 
and fleshly caitiflSs," says Wiclif, "ye are led away from the 
joy of God, and deceived with the devil's fraud.'^ § 
Funeral Rites. See Burial. 



"Gazed upon." See the 25th Article, where we are in- 
structed that, " The Sacraments were not ordained of Christ 
to be gazed upon, or to be carried about, but that we should 
duly use them." The latter clause of the 28th Article is to 
the same eflfect. In both, the declaration is pointed at the 
custom existing in the Romish Church, of elevating the host 
or sacramental bread, in the sight of the people, who there- 
upon were taught to adore it as the true body of Christ. See 
"Carried about," and Elevation of the host. 

General Convention. See Convention. 

General Council. See Council. 

Genuflection. The act of bending the knee, or kneel- 
ing in religious worship. See Kneeling. 

" Ghostly." One of the few antiquated words still retained 
in the Prayer-book. In religious works, the term " spirituaV* 
may express its meaning. An instance of its use occurs, in 
one of the prayers in the " Order of Confirmation," thus, 
"daily increase in them * * * * the spirit of counsel and 
ghostly strength." Here it obviously refers to "spiritual 



♦ Collects in Visit. Pris. t Commendatory Prayer in Yisitation of Sick. 
t Litany. § Wiclif 's Poor Caitiff. 



244 GLo 

strength," or strength to resist evil, and to obey the holy will 
of God. 

The title "Holy Ghost!'' is, in like manner, synonymous 
with "Holy Spirit^ the word '' gkosV^ being often used in 
old theological or devotional works, for '' souV^ or ''spirit." 

*' It is a sad matter, says Latimer, a godly matter, a ghostly 
matter, a matter of damnation and salvation." * Wiclif has 
a treatise entitled, " The armor of heaven, or the ghostly 
battle," i. e. the spiritual contest. 

Glebe. A portion of land belonging to a Church or 
parish, the use or revenue of which is applied to the support 
of the Rector, &c. 

Gloria in excelsis. " Glory be [to God] on High." One 
of the doxologies of the Church, sometimes called the "An- 
gelic hymn," because the first part of it was sung by the 
angels at Bethlehem. The latter portion of this celebrated 
hymn " is ascribed to Telesphorus, about the year of Christ, 
139 ; and the whole hymn, with very little difference, is to be 
found in the Apostolical Constitutions, and was established to 
be used in the Church service, by the 4th Council of Toledo, 
about a thousand years ago." f It is used by both the Greek 
and Latin Church. " In the eastern Church," says Palmer, 
"this hymn is more than 1500 years old, and the Church of 
England has used it either at the beginning or end of the 
liturgy for above 1200 years." J 

Gloria Patri. "Glory be to the Father." The Latin 
title of one of the primitive doxologies of the Church, some- 
times called "the lesser doxology," to distinguish it from the 
" Gloria in excelsis," or angelical hymn, which, at the close 
of the psalms of the day, may be substituted for it. From 
the tim^s of the Apostles, it has been customary to mingle 
ascriptions of glory with prayer, and to conclude the praises 
of the Church, and also sermons, with glory to the Father, to 

♦ Sermon on Covetousness. t Wheatly. 

t Origines Liturgicse, I. p. 159. 



GOD 245 

the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. The first part of the Gloria 
Patri, is traced by St. Basil to the Apostolic age of the 
Church. In the writings of the Fathers, doxologies are of 
very frequent occurrence, and in the early Church they appear 
to have been used as tests, by which orthodox Christians and 
Churches were distinguished from those which were infected 
with heresy. The doxologies then in use, though the same 
in substance, were various in their form and mode of ex- 
pression. The Arians soon took advantage of this diversity, 
and wrested some of them, so as to appear to favor their own 
riews. One of the doxologies which ran in these words, 
"Glory be to the Father, hy the Son, in the Holy Ghost," 
was employed by them as a support to their unscriptural 
opinions. In consequence of this, and to set the true doctrine 
of the Church in the clearest light, the form as now used 
was adopted as the standing doxology of the Church. 

God-father. See Sponsors. 

" Godly motions." God worketh in us both to will and 
to do, for all good thoughts and holy desires come from Him. 
Therefore we pray, in the Collect for the first Sunday in Lent, 
"that our flesh, being subdued to the Spirit, we may ever 
obey thy godly motions in righteousness and true holiness." 
This is very similar to a petition in the Easter Collect, and 
which may serve for its illustration ; " That, as thou dost 
put into our minds good desires, (godly motions,) so by thy 
continued help we may bring the same to good efTect," &c. 

God-mother. See Sponsors. 

" God of God." This, and the expressions by which it 
is followed, in the Nicene Creed, are simply designed to as- 
sert in the most decisive form, the essential Divinity of the 
second Person of the Trinity. Being the Son of God — the 
only-begotten of the Father — the partaker of the divine 
nature, he is therefore God of God, " as one Man is the Son 
of another, though after a spiritual manner, and purely pro- 
pagated as one Light is generated of another [Light of 

21* 



246 GOL 

Light] without diminution of Substance, generated from the 
eternal Essence, and not made as Creatures are ; being of 
one Essence with the eternal Father,"* and therefore " very 
God OF very God." 

It is scarcely necessary to remind the reader, that the 
above expression is not to be understood as implying simply 
that Christ is God over all other gods ; this is far from ex- 
pressing the meaning of the article ; for though he is truly 
" King of Kings, and Lord of Lords," yet the Christian faith 
recognizes no God but one, and the very design of this por- 
tion of the Creed was to set forth the Redeemer of mankind 
as a partaker in the one divine essence. 

" God speed." A good old phrase, honored alike by the 
Bible and the Prayer-book. St. John cautions usf against 
bidding " God speed ^^ to any one who " abideth not in the 
doctrine of Christ." " For " he adds, " he that biddeth him 
God speed, is partaker of his evil deeds." God speed, is a 
wish of success, and is equivalent to " good speed be to thee," 
or "speed thee well." When used with solemnity, (and it 
should never be used otherwise,) it implies our benevolent 
feelings to its object and his errand, and a commendation of 
both to the protection of God. Who then does not admire 
the touching and affectionate conc^ratulations wliich the 
Church enjoins at the Institution of a Minister into his cure, 
when " the Wardens, Vestry, and others shall salute and wel- 
come him, bidding him God speed.^^ It is a delightful and 
lovely relic of the olden time, worthy to live when the formal 
charities of a worse age shall be forgotten, and the pastor, in 
the truth of his office, be rallied around as the father of the 
flock, the centre of his spiritual family. 

Golden number. By referring to the Astronomical Ta- 
bles at the beginning of the Prayer-book, it v/ill be seen that 
a large proportion of them are simply calculations of the day 



♦ Dr. Nicholls. + 2 John, 10, 11. 



000 247 

on which Easter will fall in any given year, and, by conse- 
quence, the moveable feasts depending on it. In the early 
Church, it is well known that there were many and long dis- 
putes on this point, the eastern and western Churches not 
agreeing on the particular day for the celebration of this 
festival. To remove these difficulties, the Council of Nice 
came to a decision, from which the following rule was framed, 
viz : " Easter-day is always the first Sunday after the full 
moon which happens upon or next after the twenty-first day 
of March ; and if the full moon happens upon a Sunday, 
Easter day is the Sunday after." 

To determine the time of Easter in any year, it was there-, 
fore only necessary to find out the precise time of the above 
full moon, and calculate accordingly. Now if the solar year 
exactly corresponded with the lunar, the time of the paschal 
moon would be liable to no variation, and Easter would fall 
on the same day of every year. But as the lunar year is 
really shorter than the solar, by eleven days, it follows that 
the paschal moon must, for a course of years, always happen 
at a different j>eriod in each successive year. If then the 
above rule be observed, the time of Easter may vary from 
the 21st of March to the 18th of April, but somewhere 
within these " paschal limits" it vvill always^ fall. Hence the 
adoption, by the Council of Nice, of the Metonic Cycle, by 
which these changes might be determined with tolerable ac- 
curacy. From the great usefulness of this Cycle, its num- 
bers were usually written on the Calendar in letters of gold, 
from which it derived the name of Golden Number, 

Go'oD Friday. This day received its name from the bless- 
ed effects of our Saviour's sufferings, which are the ground 
of all our joy ; and from those unspeakably good things he 
hath purchased for us by his death. It is the day on which 
the great sacrifice was offered up for sin, and has been set 
apart for a peculiar solemnity of devotion, from the first ages 
of Christianity. " How inconsistent and how culpable is the 



248 GOW 

conduct of those Christians, who, belonging to a Church 
which sets apart a day for the commemoration of their 
Saviour's death, do not thus devote it, but pursue on this day 
their customary business and pleasures !" 

" Goodly FELLOWSHIP." See the Te Deum. ^^Thegoodly 
fellowsliip of the Prophets praise thee." The epithet goodly 
denotes the excellence and sanctity of these venerable men, 
"of whom the world was not worthy." And by the term 
fellowship may be understood their relation to each other, 
notwithstanding the various times in which they flourished ; 
and the fact of their forming a distinct class to execute the 
commands of the Most High. 

Gospel. The history of the life and doctrines of our 
Blessed Redeemer, as written in Matthew, Mark, Luke and 
John, and elaborated in the Apostolical Epistles. 

In the Prayer-book, that portion of Scripture which is 
read immediately after the " Epistle " in the ante-communion, 
is called by this name, from its being taken from one of the 
four Gospels. Before it is read, the congregation rise and 
give thanks to God by saying or singing " Glory be to thee, 
O Lord," indicating their gratitude to God, for the sacred 
gospel now about to be read to them. 

Gospeller. A Clergyman appointed to read the Gospel 
of the day. See Epistler. This term was also applied in 
derision, by the Romanists, to the reformers, on account of 
their valiant and determined persistence in preaching the 
gospel, and exhorting all men to judge by it of their doctrine, 
whether it was of God. 

Government, Church. See Church Government. 

" Governance." See Collect for Grace in the Morning 
Prayer : " — — that all our doings, being ordered by thy 
governance,''^ &c. ; — i. e., being subject to God's control, 
direction^ and government, — they may be righteous in his 
sight. 

Gown. See Clerical Garments. 



249 



H. 



Hades. See Hell, descent into. 

"Hands, into their." In the Communion office, it is or- 
dered that the elements shall be delivered into the hands of 
the people, according to the primitive mode of receiving this 
Sacrament. There is here an implied censure of certain 
customs which had crept into the Church, having neither 
reason nor Scripture to support them. " At an early age," 
says Wheatly, " some indiscreet persons pretending greater 
reverence to the elements, as if they were defiled with their 
hands, put themselves to the charges of providing little 
saucers, or plates, of gold, to receive the bread, until they 
were forbidden by the sixth general council. Another abuse 
the Church of Rome brought in, where the Priest puts it into 
the people's mouths, lest a crumb should fall aside." To 
counteract all such notions, the Church has wisely provided, 
that the elements shall be delivered into the hands of the 
communicants. 

" Happy issue." See the Prayer for " all Conditions of 

Men:" " giving them patience under their sufferings, 

and a happy issue out of all their afflictions," &c. The ex- 
pression is not to be understood as referring exclusively to a 
restoration to health, but to a favourable and blessed result, 
whether in life or death. 

" Health." In a spiritual sense, safety, protection, or pu. 
rity of spirit, as in the expressions : — " there is no health in 
us ;" — " to know and believe to his soul's health ;" — " thy 
saving health to all nations ;" — " the voice of joy and health 
is in the dwellings of the righteous ;" — "Lord, I have looked 
for thy saving health." 

The following parallel cases are from Wiclif: — " The 
ground of health, that is, a Christian man's belief ; for with- 
out belief, [faith,] it is impossible, as St. Paul saith, that any 



250 HELL 

man can please God :" — " Whereto, therefore, say ye idly, — 
* We shall be saved in Jesus,' — while ye cease not to hate 
him, without whom ye cannot have health ?" 

Hell, Descent into. In the 3d Article of Religion, it is ^ 
declared, that, " As Christ died for us, and was buried, so 
also is it to be believed, that he went down into hell." One 
of the Articles of the Apostles' Creed also expresses the 
same truth, in the words, " he descended into hell." These 
are fully borne out by the language of Scripture. See Acts, 
ii. 27, — Psalm xvi. 10,— and 1 Peter, iii, 18, 19. 

The main source of difficulty in relation to the doctrine of 
Christ's descent into hell, arises from the fact that two en- 
tirely different words in the original language of the New 
Testament are rendered, in our version, by the single word, 
"hell." The first of these is hades, which occurs eleven 
times in the New Testament, and in every case but one, is 
translated " hell." Now, hades is never used to denote the 
place of final torment, — the regions of the damined ; but signi- 
fies " the place of departed spirits," whether good or bad,; — the 
place where they are kept until the day of judgment, when 
they shall be reunited to their bodies, and go each to his ap- 
pointed destiny. The other word, gehenna, signifies the 
place of torment, — the eternal abode of the wicked. At the 
time when our translation was made, and the Prayer-book 
compiled, the English word " hell," had a more extensive 
meaning than it has at present. It originally signified, to 
cover over or conceal ; and is still used in this sense in seve- 
ral parts of England, where, for example, to cover a church or 
house with a roof, is to hell the building, and the person by 
whom it is done is called a hellier. But the word also de- 
noted the place of future misery, and is accordingly used in 
that sense in the New Testament, as the translation of ge- 
henna ; and in consequence of the changes which our lan- 
guage has experienced during the last 200 years, it is now 
restricted to this particular meaning. 



HIE 25X 

Bearing in mind, then, that hades was translated by the 
word " hell," for want of another more exactly corresponding 
with the original, the reader will perceive that the above 
Article in the Creed, does not refer to the place of final 
misery, but to that general receptacle of all departed human 
souls, both penitent and impenitent, where they are reserved 
in a state of comparative enjoyment or misery, to wait the 
morning of the resurrection, " when, their bodies being 
united to their souls, they will be advanced ^to complete feli- 
city or wo, in heaven or hell." 

On the death of our Lord, his soul, — ^his human soul, — went 
to this "place of departed spirits." It was necessary that 
his death should be attended with all those circumstances 
which mark the death of men. Christ was possessed of a 
human nature, both body and soul, besides his divinity. 
The body of man at death sinks to the grave ; and the soul 
goes to hades, or the place of departed spirits. In like man- 
ner, the body of Jesus Christ was laid in the tomb, but his 
soul went to the general repository of human disembodied 
spirits, where, according to St. Peter, he declared the fulfil- 
ment of the great work of redemption : — " he went and 
preached to the spirits in prison." 

Heresiarch. The chief leader or head of a heresy. 
Heresy. A wilful and obstinate departure from the or- 
thodox faith of the Christian Church. 

Heretic. One who wilfully holds false opinions " repug- 
nant to some point of doctrine clearly revealed in Scripture, 
and either absolutely essential to the Christian faith, or at 
least of the highest importance." 

Heretical. Relating to, or having the character of a 
heresy. 

Heterodox. Contrary to the established faith or doctrine 
of the Church. 

Hierarchy. A designation equally applied to the ranks 
of celestial beings in the Jerusalem above, and to the Apos- 



252 HOL 

tolic order of the Ministry in the Church below. In refer- 
ence to the latter, it is an error to suppose that it necessarily 
implies temporal distinction, wealth, splendor, or any other 
adjuncts with which the Ministry may, in certain times and 
countries, have been distinguished. These are mere acci- 
dents,- which prejudice has identified with the being of a 
hierarchy, but from which no just inference can be drawn 
against the inherent spiritual dignity of the Christian priest- 
hood. 

HiEROME. One of the ancient Fathers of the Church, 
better known by the name of Jerome, or St. Jerome. He 
lived about 1450 years ago, and wrote many valuable works, 
containing, among other things, comments, &c., on many of 
the books of Scripture. The greatness of his reputation, 
and the sanctity of his life, are well known. St. Jerome 
was never advanced to the rank of Bishop, but, like Tertul- 
lian and Origen, remained a Presbyter to the close of his 
life. His name is mentioned in the 6th Article of Religion, 
where an expression of his is quoted. 

HiERUSALEM. The same with Jerusalem. See the 19th 
Article of Religion, in the Prayer-book. 

" Holiness and Righteousness." It has frequently been 
remarked, that, in the Liturgy, words occur in immediate 
juxtaposition, carrying the same general meaning, and giving 
the appearance of needless tautologies. This is not the 
effect of accident or negligence on the part of its compilers, 
but was done with the design of making the Liturgy intelli- 
gible even to persons of the narrowest education. Simpli- 
city, combined with dignity, is one of the happiest character- 
istics of the Liturgy. Every care was taken in its formation 
that both the refined and the illiterate might be edified. On 
the occurrence of words which might not be generally under- 
stood, we find therefore another immediately following, of 
the same or similar meaning. Sometimes too a word derived 
froaa the Latin is succeeded by another of the same import 



HOL 253 

from the Saxon. The following cases will illustrate this 
peculiarity of the Liturgy ; — " holiness and righteousness ;" — 
" acknowledge and confess "; — " peril and danger "; — " ais- 
semble and meet together "; — " craft and subtilty "; — " re- 
quisite and necessary "; — " erred and strayed "; — " declare 
and pronounce"; and "confirm and strengthen." 

HoLPEN. See Psalm xxii. 5., in the Prayer-book, — 
" They called upon thee, and were hoJpen ; they put their 
trust in thee, and were not confounded." Holpen is the ob- 
solete form for ^'helped.^^ The verse will be understood, by 
reading, " they called upon thee, and were helped " — that is, 
God heard their prayer, and mercifully delivered them from 
their troubles. 

Holy Cross Day. See Cross, Holy. 

Holy Days. Among the earliest means adopted by the 
Church, for the purpose of impressing on the minds of her 
children the great and interesting scenes of the Gospel his- 
tory, and the extraordinary events which marked the first 
planting of Christianity, was the apppointment of a train of 
anniversaries and holy-days with appropriate services, com- 
memorative of all the prominent transactions of the Re- 
deemer's life and death, and of the labors and virtues of the 
Blessed Apostles and Evangelists. These Institutions, so 
replete with hallowed associations, have descended to our 
own day, and the observance of them is commended by the 
assent of every discerning and unprejudiced mind — is sus- 
tained by the very constitution of our nature, which loves to 
preserve the annual memory of important events, and is in 
the highest degree reasonable, delightful, profitable, and 
devout. 

The Church can see no valuable end to be attained by re- 
garding the claims of that disaffection which would rob her 
of so ancient and so religious a custom. In the assumption 
that the facts of revelation can be sufficiently retained in the 
mind w^ithout external commemoration, there is certainly 

23 



254 HOLY-DAYS. 

ground for the suspicion that those facts are under-estimated 
by the objector ; for we value the day not as holy per se, but 
for the sake of the subject of which it is the vehicle. 

Suppose a body of American citizens should form a soci- 
ety, and in their Constitution declare that the memory of the 
independence of the nation, and of its written declaration, 
and of the birth-day of Washington, &c., &;c., would be well 
enough preserved and perpetuated, without the troublesome 
formality of the customary celebrations ; and that it there- 
fore became their duty, as sober-minded citizens, to over- 
turn altogether those festivals as grounded on a false prin- 
ciple, or still better, to change them into seasons of sorrow 
and lamentation. Now what would be the public verdict on 
such a proceeding ? What would be thought of its origin- 
ators ? If we are not mistaken, the community would very 
soon learn to bring their soundness of judgment into ques- 
tion, even if they would not proceed to arraign their patriot- 
ism itself. We plead for holy-days in the Church on this 
same principle, that the vivid sense and estimation of the 
fact, is heightened by a periodical concentration of the mind 
upon that fact ; in other words, by the devout observance of a 
day of celebration. There is also something highly reason- 
able in the institution of holy-days ; for if it is universally 
conceded that in national and civil concerns, there is a mani- 
fest propriety in the appointment of certain days for the com- 
memoration of striking events or remarkable persons, so are 
they equally wise and proper in the Church, and no sound 
reason can be shown why the Church should not at definite 
times celebrate the various events in the history of her great 
Head, and bring to our remembrance and recommend to our 
imitation, the virtues and the piety of her " shining lights." 
It is considered also both reasonable and proper, that civil 
rulers should appoint public fasts, days of thanksgiving, and 
days for special supplication in national emergencies. But 
if all this may lawfully be done by the State, and is allow- 



HOLY-DAYS. 255 

edly praiseworthy, surely the same is at least equally reason- 
able when done by the constituted authorities of the Church. 
The principle is also admitted in its fullest extent by almost 
all denominations of Christians, when they appoint days for 
fasts, simultaneous meetings, thanksgivings, anniversaries, 
and religious commemorations of certain events in civil his- 
tory. The Church cannot therefore justly be censured for 
exercising a privilege universally claimed, and for selecting 
from the gospel history the subjects which she celebrates. 

Respecting the character and object of these days, it will 
be perceived at once that a very considerable number of them 
are set apart for the purpose of bringing before us the prin- 
cipal facts in the life of our Saviour, and in the history of our 
redemption. These can never be too strongly imprinted on 
the mind, and they must always be subjects of grateful re- 
collection and reviving thought, to all " who love our Lord 
Jesus Christ in sincerity." It is true that the detail of these 
events, as given in the Holy Scriptures, will engage and im- 
press every devout mind ; but, as we have already hinted, 
nature itself teaches that well-known facts are brought to 
bear with an increased force on the mind, by the appoint- 
ment of set times for their celebration. And this principle 
of our nature was recognized and sanctioned by God himself, 
in the institution of solemn festivals under the Jewish dis- 
pensation. • 

Another class of holy-days have relation to the memory of 
departed saints ; and the object of the Church is to lead us 
to bless God for the evidences of his grace, in their exemplary 
lives, and their triumphant death, and to encourage us to the 
exercise of the same virtues which irradiated their character. 
The early Christians were deeply impressed with the reason- 
ableness of holding " the righteous in everlasting remem- 
brance," they felt that " the memory of the just is blessed," 
they esteemed it as a law to " remember them who had once 
had the rule over them, and who had spoken unto them the 



S56 HOLY-DAYS. 

word of God." And from this conviction arose the custom 
of honoring certain days more especially to their memory, 
and of periodically beseeching God that grace might be given 
" to follow their good examples." We do not pretend to say 
that such appointments are safe from abuse, for it is beyond 
question that in former ages, as well as in some unreformed 
Churches at the present day, these have been multiplied to 
an extent so great as to engross almost every day in the year, 
and thus to cast many important and essential duties of the 
Gospel into the shade. They have also been abused by the 
elevation of persons to the rank of saints, of whom little is 
known, and of whose piety (not to say of whose existence,) 
we have very scanty evidence ; and the sacred nature of 
these festivals has frequently been set aside, or exchanged 
for secular mirth, riot, and disorder. But against all these 
the Protestant Episcopal Church has guarded, by appointing 
no celebrations in particular, except for such persons as stand 
forth for our imitation in the Holy Scriptures, and by re- 
quiring that the employments of these days shall be of a 
strictly religious character. 

There is something truly admirable in the order and suc- 
cession of these holy-days. Our Church begins her ecclesi- 
astical year with the Sundays in Advent, to remind us of the 
coming of Christ in the flesh. After these, we are brought 
to contemplate the mystery of the Incarnation ; and so, step 
by step, we follow the Church through all the events of our 
Saviour's pilgrimage, to his ascension into heaven. In all 
this, the grand object is, to keep Christ perpetually before us, 
to make him and his doctrine the chief object in all our 
varied services. Every Sunday has its peculiar character, 
and has reference to some act or scene in the life of our Lord, 
or the redemption achieved by him. Thus every year brings 
the whole Gospel history to view ; and it will be found, as 
a general rule, that the appointed portions of Scripture in each 
day's service, are mutually illustrative ; the New Testament 



HOLY-DAYS. 257 

casting light on the Old — prophecy being admirably brought 
in contact with its accomplishment, so that no plan could be 
devised for a more profitable course of Scripture reading than 
that presented by the Church on her holy-days. 

The objections against the keeping of holy-days are such 
as these. St. Paul says, " Ye observe days, and months, 
and times, and years," &c. This occurs in the Epistle to 
the Galatians. Again, in the Epistle to the Colossians, " let 
no man judge you * * * in respect of a holy-day," &c. 
From these it is argued, that as we are brought into the 
liberty of the Gospel, we are no longer bound to the observ- 
ance of holy-days, which are but "beggarly elements." 
Respecting the first, it is surprising that no one has "con. 
scientiously" drawn from it an inference for the neglect of 
the civil division of time : and in relation to both, it requires 
only an attentive reading of the Epistles from which they 
are taken, to see that they have no more connection with the 
holy-days of the Church, than with Episcopacy. The Apos- 
tle is warning the Gentile Christians to beware of the attempts 
of Judaizing teachers to subvert their faith. It was the aim 
of these to bring the converts under the obligations of the 
Jewish ritual, and some progress appears to have been made 
in their attempts. Paul, therefore, reminds them that these 
were but the shadow of good things to come, while Christ 
was the hody. The passages therefore have no relevancy to 
the question ; or, if they have, they show that while Chris- 
tians abandoned the Jewish festivals, they were to observe 
their own. If they were to forsake the shadow, they were to 
cleave to the substance. 

Again ; if we keep holy-days, we are said to favor Ro- 
manism. But these days were hallowed long before corrupt 
tion was known in the Romish Church. And waiving this, 
let it be remembered, that we are accustomed to. judge of 
things by their intrinsic worth, and the main point to be de- 
22* 



258 HOLY-DAYS. 

termined is, whether they are right or wrong. If they are 
right, we receive them ; and if they are not right, we reject 
them, whether they are received by the Church of Rome or 
not. We abandon the worship of images, not because it is in 
the Romish Church, but because it is morally sinful and idol- 
atrous. On the other hand, we receive the doctrine of the 
Trinity, though held by the Church of Rome, and this solely 
because we judge that doctrine to be right and scriptural. 

The most popular objection urged against holy-days, is 
grounded on the assumed uncertainty of the time when some 
celebrated events occurred. Thus it is contended, that in re- 
lation to Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, &c., as we cannot 
determine the precise day, it is vain to dedicate any day to 
their celebration. On this point we should reason very dif- 
ferently ; for, granting that the true day is uncertain, does it 
necessarily follow that na day is to be kept ? May not the 
Church appoint some certain day for the commemoration of 
an event, though the actual day of the event is lost 1 Sup- 
pose the 4th of July to happen on Sunday, it is in consequence 
celebrated on the 3d or 5th ; but does this change of the 
day vitiate the force or alter the nature of the festival ? Is 
patriotism to be regulated by a chronometer ? In like man- 
ner, suppose we should not really know the exact day on 
which our Redeemer was born, but should keep the feast on 
the 1st of January, or on any other day ; would this destroy 
all the utility and do away with all the benefits of Christmas ? 

But we claim a decided certainty respecting these days ; for 
in relation to Easter and the days dependent on it, the hea- 
venly bodies are our guides, and unless these vary in their 
motions, our appointed days are the true anniversaries of the 
events they represent. And as it respects Christmas, the 
proof that we are correct, is too abundant to be questioned. 
We have the testimony of numerous writers of antiquity, 
and the plain fact that the same day which we keep, has been 
kept from the earliest ages. The day was not appointed by 



HOM 259 

the modern Church, but retained as it has been in the Church 
from the beginning. 

It is a pleasing thing to observe that every where the wis- 
dom of the Church in her institutions is becoming better 
known, that objections to the observance of her holy-days 
are rapidly wearing away, and that the principle itself is 
almost universally acknowledged as salutary, in the appoint- 
ment of set days for various religious purposes among all 
denominations of Christians. See the articles on the titles 
of the respective Holy-days. 

Holy Table. The altar or table on which the sacred 
elements are placed at the Lord's Supper. See Altar. 

Holy Thursday. See Ascension. 

Holy Week. See Passion Week. 

Holy Orders. See Orders, Holy. 

Homilies. The Homilies of the Church are two books of 
plain, discourses, composed at the time of the Reformation, 
and appointed to be read in Churches, on " any Sunday or 
Holy-day, when there is no Sermon." " The first volume of 
them was set out in the beginning of King Edward Vl's 
reign, having been composed (as it is thought) by Archbishop 
Cranmer, Bishop Ridley, and Latimer * * * when a com- 
petent number of Ministers, of sufficient abilities to preach 
in a public congregation, was not to be found."* The se- 
cond book appeared in 1562, in the reign of Elizabeth. In 
neither of these books, " can the several Homilies be as- 
signed to their several authors with any certainty. "j* In the 
second book " no single Homily of them all has been appro- 
priated."! In the first, that on "Salvation" was probably 
written by Cranmer, as also those on " Faith," and " Good 
Works " — " Internal evidence arising out of certain homely 
expressions, and peculiar forms of ejaculation, the like to 
which occur in Latimer's Sermons, pretty clearly betray the 

« Wheatly. t Blunt, Hist. Rcf., p. 195. 



260 HYM 

hand of the Bishop of Worcester to have been engaged in 
the homily against "brawHng and contention;" the one 
against " adultery " may be safely given to Thomas Becon, 
one of Cranmer's chaplains, in whose works, published in 
1564, it is still to be found ; of the rest nothing is known but 
by the merest conjecture."* 

In Article XXXV. is given a list of the Homilies, together 
with the rank and character assigned them by the Church. 
In this the American Church coincides, but suspends the 
reading of them in Churches " until a revision of them may 
be conveniently made, for the clearing of them, as well from 
obsolete words and phrases, as from the local references." 

Host. From the Latin hostia, a sacrifice. The name by 
which, in the Church of Rome, the consecrated bread in the 
Eucharist is called. In this term is embodied the doctrine 
of that Church, relative to transubstantiation, or the change 
of the bread into the true body of Christ ; and also that of 
the Eucharist being a propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of 
both the living and the dead. The term has, therefore, been 
abandoned by the reformed Church. 

House of Bishops. See Convention. 

House of Clerical and Lay Deputies. See Conven- 

TION. 

Hymn. The title of Hymn is not confined, by the Church, 
to those songs of praise which appear in English metre, but 
is frequently used in its more extensive import, to embrace 
those holy anthems with which the Scriptures abound, and 
also the compositions of uninspired men, which were used in 
the primitive Church. Thus the name of " hymn " is given 
in the Prayer-book to the song of Zacharias, from Luke, 
ch. i. : — " Blessed be the Lord God of Israel," &c. Also 
to the " Te Deum." In the " Churching of Women," a 
part of the 116th Psalm is called a hymn. And in the Forms 

♦ Blunt, Hist. Ref., p. 195. 



IGN 261 

df Prayer to be used at sea, several portions of the Book of 
Psalms are thus denominated. The psalms, &c., which are 
sung or said after the reading of the Lessons of Scripture, 
are also frequently styled hymiis. In this the Church retains 
the use of the word as applicable to the Psalms, &c., in their 
true character as Hebrew Poetry, though assuming, in our 
translation, the form of prose. 

Hypothetical. This term is sometimes used in relation 
to a baptism administered to a child, of whom it is uncer- 
tain whether he has been already baptized or not. The Ru- 
bric states, that " if they who bring the infant to the Church, 
do make such uncertain answers to the Minister's questions 
as that it cannot appear that the child was baptized with 
water, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the 
Holy Ghost," then the Minister, on performing the baptism, 
is to use this form of words, viz : — 

" If thou art not already baptized, N , I baptize thee 

in the name," &c. 

This, therefore, is called an hypothetical or conditional 
form, being used only on the supposition, that the child has 
not already received baptism. 



I. 

" Ignorance in asking." An expression occurring in 
one of the Collects at the end of the Communion office, im- 
plying that even in the exercise of prayer itself there are de- 
fects which need the pardoning grace of God. In the Litany 
we further pray, that " sins, negligences, and ignorances " 
may be forgiven, and this is by no means a superfluous or 
useless petition. It is doubtless true, that God will punish 
none who are ignorant from actual incapability. And 
among accountable beings, the severity of punishment will 



262 IMM 

also be proportioned to the light and means of knowledge 
resisted. With many, therefore, the plea of ignorance must 
be altogether out of the question ; for the Scriptures of truth 
are thrown open to every man. And if, in the present day, 
we should esteem that man deserving of censure, who passes 
through life without acquiring the first principles of educa- 
tion, in the midst of favourable opportunities : so will God 
righteously treat with severity the man who remains igno- 
rant of his truth, when he is privileged with countless means 
and advantages for learning it. Well, therefore, may we 
pray " that it may please" God " to forgive us all our sins, 
negligences, and ignorances.^'' 

I. H. S. An inscription formerly very common on pulpits, 
books, and other furniture of Churche-s. The letters are the 
initials of " Jesus Hominum Salvator :" — Jesus, the Saviour 
of men. Sometimes the H. is ornamented by a cross 
mounted on the middle stroke. 

Immaculate Conception. A doctrine maintained in the 
Romish Church, that the Virgin Mary was conceived and 
born without sin. A festival bearing the name of Concep- 
tion is still observed in that Church, in memory of " the ines- 
timable privilege granted to the mother of God, of being 
conceived in original justice, and exempted from all sin."* 

Immersion. One of the modes in which the Sacrament 
of Baptism is administered, consisting in the plunging or 
dipping of the person in water. 

The views of the Church respecting the mode of Baptism 
are simply these : — 1. That the application of water to the 
body, is essential to the validity of the Sacrament. 2. That 
no inspired precept has been given relative to the quantity of 
water to be employed ; neither can this be determined from 
a review of the cases of Baptism recorded in the New Tes- 
tament. 3. That, therefore, it must be a matter of indiffer- 

♦ Metropolitan Catholic Almanac, 1838. 



IMMERSION. 263 

ence, whether the body be plunged in water, or whether the 
element be applied in the form of pouring or sprinkling, inas- 
much as, (in the absence of precept,) all these modes meet 
the spirit of the requirement, and have been held valid 
from a very early age. 

The varieties in the mode of Baptism are generally stated 
as follows : — 

1. Immersion, dipping, or plunging. 

2. Affusion, or pouring. 

3. Aspersion, or sprinkling. 

All these the Church regards as lawful modes of Baptism. 

As to the first, we freely grant its antiquity and validity, 
and, consequently, it is retained by the Church, as may be 
seen from the Rubrics in the Baptismal offices. It is also 
granted, that, in the early ages of the Church, immersion 
prevailed very extensively, perhaps more extensively than 
any of the other modes of Baptism ; and, amid the number of 
Scripture examples, the probability is that Baptism was in 
some cases thus administered by the Apostles or their fellow- 
laborers in the ministry. 

In advocating affusion and sprinkling, we take the testi- 
mony of Scripture and antiquity. The word « baptize," has 
in Scripture so great a breadth of meaning, that it cannot be 
used to support any one mode of administering the rite, to the 
prejudice of the rest. From this, therefore, nothing can be 
proved either way. We apprehend, however, that when the 
preaching of the Gospel by the Apostles produced its vast 
multitudes of converts, the nature of circumstances would 
not always admit of other Baptism than that by pouring or 
sprinkling. Rivers or lakes could not always be resorted to, 
on the spur of the moment. In some cases, a tedious march] 
with women and children, over a considerable tract of coun' 
try, might have been necessary before a sufficiency of water 
could be found for immersion. It is unlikely, too, that pro- 
per garments could in all cases be so hastily provided. The 



264 IMMERSION. 

rapidity with which these Baptisms were performed, seems 
entirely inconsistent with the slow process of immersion. 
After the preaching of St. Peter, it is stated that 3000 were 
baptized, and that these were added to the Church in one 
day. Now the immersion of 3000 persons in so short a 
time, carries with it so great an air of improbability, that we 
must be excused, if we suspect that some more rapid mode 
was adopted for their Baptism. Reflect upon this one mo- 
ment : — Peter's sermon began, (as we are told,) after the 
third hour of the day ; that is, nine o'clock in the morning. 
His addresses occupied a considerable time ; for, besides the 
sketch given in the Acts, it is said that " with many more 
words he exhorted them," — which are not recorded. Now 
it was not until after all this, that the Baptisms began, — and 
the time remaining to the evening, could scarcely have been 
more than eight hours. Dividing, therefore, the 3000 per- 
sons, there would be 375 to receive Baptism in each of those 
eight hours, — a number so great that it is difficult to imagine 
how they could possibly have been immersed. 

But again ; in the case of the jailor at Philippi, we have 
an instance of a whole family, suddenly baptized, and this 
too at midnight. The whole matter was transacted in a very 
limited time, and we cannot, without violence, bring ourselves 
to believe in the reality of such a thing, as the instant 
arousing from slumber of a whole family, and the immediate 
'plunging of them in the cold element of baptism : to say 
nothing of the improbability of there being on the spot, and 
at the time, a sufficiency of pure water, and suitable vessels 
to meet the emergency. 

Acrain ; we know that the sick and infirm were admitted 
to Christian baptism. But is it at all probable that these, 
when feeble, suffering, and prostrate, would be denied bap- 
tism, simply on the ground that they would not venture an 
immersion, which common reflection told them, would in all 
likelihood be highly dangerous, if not fatal ? And even if we 



IMMERSION. 265 

should grant that the general rule was immersion, and set 
down all these cases as exceptions; yet we are entitled to the 
inference, that the validity of the other modes was fairly 
established and recognized. It is worthy of remark, that in 
connection with the narratives or notices of baptisms in the 
New Testament, there is nothing whatever said about the 
laying aside of garments, or about any precautions with re- 
gard to decency, &c., on the part of the candidates, things 
which would naturally have been alluded to, if those bap- 
tisms had uniformly been by imviersion. In the case of the 
3000 who were baptized on one day, the circumstances of 
their sudden preparation for the rite — their disrobing — the in- 
dispensable arrangements for the preservation of decency, and 
the resuming of their ordinary clothing after the . ceremony, 
would have given a character to the whole scene which could 
not but have been touched upon by the sacred writer. And 
yet, not a word is said concerning these necessary accompani- 
ments of immersion. "When our Lord washed the feet of 
his disciples, unimportant as the transaction was, it is record- 
ed that he laid aside his garment." But here, in a matter of 
far greater magnitude, the Evangelist is silent, and we are 
forcibly led to the conclusion that the circumstances we have 
alluded to did not occur, the mode of baptism used on the 
occasion not requiring them. 

By those who deny the validity of pouring or sprinkling, 
much weight is laid on those words of St. Mark, (i. 9,) 
"Jesus * * * * was baptized of John m Jordan." From this 
it is inferred, that our Lord, at his baptism, actually went 
down into the waters of the Jordan, and there received the 
rite by immersion. As to the latter, — it does not follow that 
a person baptized at a river, must necessarily be immersed. 
The circumstances are equally favorable for any of the other 
modes, and if there is no direct statement relative to the mode 
adopted, no conclusion can legitimately be drawn for one to 
the disparagement of the rest. The reasoning on the former 

23 



266 IMMERSION. 

point is equally unsound. The preposition sig is assumed to 
bear the sense of " into" as a general rule ; and thus trans- 
lated, it might indeed appear that Jesus went into the Jordan, 
though, by the bye, to be baptized into a river, is an ex- 
pression not very consistent either with good taste or sound 
orthodoxy. The preposition sis, on the contrary, is not un- 
frequently rendered by "m," *'to" "by," &c. We refer to 
the following texts as examples. Rom. vi. 4 : " Even so we 
also should walk in (not into) newness of life." Acts ii. 38 : 
•• Be baptized for (not into) the remission of sins." Matt. 
XV. 24: "I am not sent, but unto (not into) the lost sheep," 
&c. Acts vii. 53 : " Who have received the law by the dispo- 
sition of angels," (not '''into the disposition," &c.) From a 
comparison of these with the passage in question, it is at 
least doubtful whether, at the time of his baptism, our Lord 
went ifito the Jordan. The words in the original do not 
assert it ; but the phrase " to go to, — to be baptized in, or by 
Jordan," is " as proper and emphatical (says a writer) as the 
other rendering, and does not involve the immersion of 
Christ." 

It needs only to be added, in connection with these hints 
from Scripture, that affusion and sprinkling were certainly 
practised in very early days of the Church ; and that by de- 
grees, as Christianity extended itself into colder climates, where 
persons were liable to serious injury from immersion, these 
modes were very generally adopted as better agreeing with 
local circumstances. "A little water (says St. Cyprian) can 
cleanse the believer as well as a whole river." In the fourth 
and fifth centuries, aspersion or sprinkling was common in the 
Church. St. Chrysostom, for example, mentions the case of 
several young women being baptized by aspersion. This 
mode has, at the present day, become almost general. The 
variations of climate, with the manners and religious habits 
of modern times, seem to have determined its prevalence 
among most classes of Christians. We have seen then, that 



INF 267 

each of the modes of Baptism is in itself lawful, for we have 
every reason to believe that they are as old as the days of the 
Apostles, and were by them on different occasions exercised. 

Immoveable Feasts. Those holy-days which do not de- 
pend on Easter, but are permanently fixed to set days of the 
year. Christmas, and all the Saints' days, with some others, 
are of this character. 

Imparity. A difference of degree or rank, as in the Epis- 
copal Ministry, where the Clergy are not all of one kind or 
rank, but some are Bishops, others Priests, and others Dea- 
cons, each of these being of a different grade. Were they 
all on a level, in regard to the powers committed to them, 
there would exist a parity or equality ; but, as it is, their 
difference of grade makes an imparity or inequality among 
them, such as is described in the New Testament, and has 
always existed since the Church of Christ was first estab. 
lished. See Parity. 

Imposition of Hands. A religious ceremony of very 

great antiquity, and still retainpH in the Church, as the ap- 
pointed means of administering Confirmation, and of commu- 
nicating the powers of the Christian Ministry. See Orders. 

Impropriation. In England, an impropriation implies the 
possession and employment, by a layman, of the revenues of 
a Church or ecclesiastical benefice. 

Incarnation. See Christmas. 

Incumbent. The Rector, Pastor, or stated Minister, of a 
Church. The word occurs in the Prayer-book, in the Office 
for the Institution of a new Minister in a Church, thus ; — 
" The day being appointed for the new Incumbent'' s Institu- 
tion, at the usual hour of Morning Prayer, the Institutor, 
attended by the new Incumbent" &c., — that is, the Minister 
who is about to receive the spiritual care of the Church. 

Induction. See Institution. 

Indulgences. See Pardons. 

Infant Baptism. To the present writer, it seems, that all 



368 INFANT BAPTISM. 

controversy respecting the baptism of infants, might be re- 
duced to the simple question, " Can infants be made mem- 
bers of Christ's body — the Church ?" If they can, then they 
ought. If it be possiile, then is it obligatory. We judge so, 
on the simple ground that the blessings of Christianity are 
designed by God himself jfor all who are capable of them, and 
are in a proper disposition for receiving them. To v^^hat ex- 
tent infants may be the subjects of spiritual blessing, we 
know not ; but that this is sufficient to remove every impedi- 
ment from the way of their introduction to the Church, we 
have the assurance of our Lord himself, in the direct asser- 
tion, ^^ of such is the kingdom of heaven." From this it fol- 
lows, that they are capable of, and fit for, at least, a portion 
of those peculiar blessings which are called spiritual ; and 
as these blessings are conveyed by means divinely established 
in the Church, the result is, an obligation (of no slight cha- 
racter) to employ those means for the benefit of infants. The 
neglect of this, would be a fraud on their souls, for which we 
should be justly answerable. 

. We might safely leave the matter here, without saying 
another word. But the testimony of 3500 years to the truth, 
that infants (equally with adults) are capable of Church- 
membership, is well worth considering, especially when it is 
borne in mind, through how large a portion of that time the 
Church was under the direction of men divinely inspired — 
men, who never failed to rebuke error, and inculcate truth. 

Let us take a rapid review of the facts which catch the 
eye, in glancing over this long period. 

Under the covenant made with Abraham, and in the Jew- 
ish Church, children were always admitted members by the 
rite of circumcision. Infants, therefore, of eight days old, 
were declared fit to enter into covenant with God. Now, in 
this relation, baptism is, in the Christian Church, precisely 
what circumcision was in the Jewish. If then, infants were 
eligible subjects of admission to the Church of God before 



INFANT BAPTISM. 269 

the coming of Christ, we know of no valid reason why they 
should not be equally so now ; especially when we take into 
consideration that it is the glory of the Christian dispensa- 
tion that it affords blessings and privileges far more abundant 
than were enjoyed in the Jewish Church. And, most clearly, 
there is not to be found in Scripture, the least intimation of a 
difference having been made between the two dispensations, 
so startling, as the exclusion of infants in the latter. 

When families of proselytes obtained admission into the 
Jewish Church, it was by means of circumcision united with 
baptism, and all their households were made subjects of 
these rites. Now, Christian baptism, as an initiatory rite, 
was borrowed from this Jewish custom ; but the subjects of 
it were never changed. There is no limitation of it to 
adults : and indeed had such been the case, so new and ex- 
traordinary a procedure would have been the cause of loud 
complaints on the part of Christianized Jews, who, before 
this, had never doubted the eligibility of infanta foi' Church- 
membership. If children, then, had always, from the days 
of Abraham, been thus received, we certainly have no power 
to reject them, inasmuch as there is given to us, no repeal of 
the law which authorizes and commands their admission. 

Again ; among the first Christians, multitudes of con- 
verted Jews still retained circumcision, thus showing that 
they yet viewed their children as fit members of the Church. 
Paul manifests his displeasure at their adherence to the par- 
ticular rite of circumcision, but utters not a syllable to cau- 
tion them against indulging in the ancient practice of receiv- 
ing children into Church-membership. But if these children 
were circumcised, it is almost demonstrable, that they must 
also have had Christian baptism ; for, being " recognized as 
having a right to Church-membership by their circumcision, 
so also, they miast necessarily have been bap,tized in order to 
ratify and confirm that right in the Christian Chui'ch ; so that 
the many thousands of children who were circumcised by 
23* 



270 INFANT BAPTISM. 

their parents, after they embraced Christianity, are so many 
thousands of examples of infants that were baptized." 

Further : If the children of Christian parents had from 
necessity to wait for baptism until they had attained adult 
age, there would thus have been (in immediate contact with 
the Apostles) a great number of young people in the inter- 
esting station of candidates for this holy rite. But though, 
in the Apostolical Epistles, we observe many passages in 
which the writers express their affection and regard for chil- 
dren and young persons, not a solitary hint is given which 
can lead us to believe that any of these were in a state of 
preparation for baptism. If such had been the case, there is 
little doubt that frequent and earnest appeals would have 
been made to encourage them to enter with alacrity and re- 
soluteness upon the Christian warfare. Their young minds 
would have been carefully turned to the solemnities of their 
coming baptism, and their parents would have been urged to 
an especial degree of watchfulness in guiding their prepara- 
tory exercises. But, in the total absence of any hint to this 
effect, what can we offer as a solution, unless it be the fact, 
that there was no such class of young unbaptized persons — 
all having been admitted to this rite in their infancy, or 
when their parents embraced the Gospel. 

That infants should be baptized, appears also by fair de» 
duction, from the words of Christ to Nicodemus. " Except 
a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter 
into the kingdom of God." Now no one can deny that this 
declaration is, in its nature, universal, and there is no other 
passage of Scripture which lays it under limits. Infants, 
therefore, must be born again. But this new birth is declared 
to be by "water and the Spirit." Therefore we conclude 
that they are proper subjects of baptism. It is indeed some- 
. times objected that faith must, in all cases, precede baptism, 
and as infants cannot exercise this, they are not in a condi- 



INFANT BAPTISM. 271 

tion to receive this sacrament. The objection in plain terms 
will stand thus : — We must believe before we can be baptized ; 
but infants do not believe ; therefore, infants ought not to be 
baptized. To this reasoning we may, with equal plausibility, 
reply : — We must believe before we can be saved ; but in- 
fants do not believe ; therefore, infants cannot be saved. 
This, surely, would not be admitted even by those who reject 
Infant Baptism, for Christ himself has said, " Suffer the 
little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of 
such is the kingdom of heaven." It appears then from the 
passage under consideration, and also from that just quoted, 
that children may be admitted into the kingdom of God. And 
if it be asserted that the phrase, " kingdom of heaven," re- 
fers to the Church above, and not to the visible Church on 
earth, we ask, if infants may be admitted to the greater^ why 
not to the lesser ? If a child can obtain an entrance into heaven 
without faith, why must we deny that child admittance to the 
congregation of Chris fs flock below under the same circum- 
stances ? 

But it is alleged that there is no positive command for the 
baptism of infants. But neither is there any such command 
that they shall not be baptized. The scripture does not name 
any specific age as a qualification or condition of baptism, 
nor does it ever assert that infancy is an impediment to the 
reception of this rite. As well might it be urged that we 
should not pray for infants, in the absence of a positive com- 
mand, as that we should not baptize them in similar circum- 
stances. The truth is, that the commands relative to the 
ordinances of Christianity are few in number, much being 
left to the discernment, the sober judgment, and plain sense 
of the Church. Some of the most manifest duties stand in 
the same predicament, being only alluded to inferentially, 
because their obligation was already well understood. 

Such is a very hasty sketch of the Scripture argument for 



272 ^ INFANT BAPTISM. 

Infant Baptism, an imperfect sketch, we are aware, but yet, 
as we trust, sufficient for our main purpose. 

As we promised, at the outset, to be brief, our limits will 
not allow, neither can the subject require, more than a glance 
at the practice of the Christian Church. This will be shown 
by a few quotations from ancient writers, testifying to the 
existence of Infant Baptism from the very time of the 
Apostles. 

Justin Martyr, who lived only about forty years after the 
Apostles, mentions that " there were many among them, who 
were then 70 or 80 years of age, who had been made disci- 
pies of Christ when they were infants." Now as infants are 
incapable of faith, they must have become disciples by bap- 
tism, and if so, their age shows that they must have been 
baptized while the Apostles were living. Irenaeus, who lived 
about 60 or 70 years after the Apostles, reckons children 
among those who were " born again to God." Consequently, 
even on the principles of those who reject Infant Baptism, 
they were certainly fit subjects for admission into the Church 
on earth. And if the phrase is used to denote " that regene- 
ration (or change of state) which is the effect of baptism, 
this becomes a plain testimony to the early existence of the 
custom of baptizing infants." 

After these, may be mentioned Tertullian, Origen, St. Cy- 
prian, and St. Augustine, who speak of Infant Baptism with 
as much clearness as if they had been Bishops and divines 
of the nineteenth century. The latter " declared it as his 
opinion, that the baptism of infants had been established by 
Divine authority, since he found that the whole Church prac- 
tised it ; that it was not instituted by any council, but had 
always been retained, and therefore must be believed to have 
been delivered to the Church by the Apostles." To contend 
then, that in the first ages of the Church, no such thing pre- 
vailed, but that it was afterwards introduced by some design- 
ing persons, is to cast aside very strong evidence, and to cling 



INF 273 

alone to mere conjecture. So bold an invention, on its first 
appearance, would have stirred up an universal clamor in the 
Church. Its novelty would have provoked general discus. 
sion, as we well know less important matters did, and con- 
troversies, violent and long, would have been the natural and 
sure result. Yet ecclesiastical historians record no such 
event, but preserve the most unbroken silence. The con- 
clusion then, so far as we can see, is, that from the time of 
the covenant of God with Abraham, for a period of about 
three thousand Jive hundred years, infants were never denied 
admission into God's Church, but were always received, un- 
der the former dispensation, by circumcision ; under the Chris- 
tian, by baptism. It may be added that, at the present day. 
Infant Baptism is held by at least nineteen twentieths of the 
whole Christian world. [See Jerram on Infant Baptism, to 
which work we are indebted for some of the above hints.] 

Inferior orders. In the ancient Church, the three or- 
ders of the Ministry, as established by Christ and his Apos. 
tl<?e, nnivpr.cnlly prpvailprl. Rut. bp.sides the Bishops, Priests, 
and Deacons, there were, in most of the Churches, other 
ecclesiastical persons of inferior rank, who were allowed to 
take part in the ministrations of religion. These constituted 
what are called the " Inferior Orders," and in some of the 
ancient Canons, they have the name of " Clergy." 

" There is this great difference between the Three Holy 
Orders, and the other, that the former are every where men- 
tioned as those Degrees of Men whose Ministrations were 
known and distinguished, and without which no Church was 
looked upon as complete : But to show that the Inferior Orders 
were never thought to be necessary in the same Degree, let 
it be considered, 

1. That different Churches, or the same Church in differ- 
ent ages, had mxore or fewer of the Inferior Orders. In 
some were only Readers ; in others, Suh-deacons, Exorcists, 
and Acolyths. The Apostolic Canons mention only Suh-dea. 



274 INF 

cons, Readers, and Singers. The Laodicean enumerates 
these, and also Exorcists and Ostiaries, But while there was 
no standing rule respecting these merely ecclesiastical orders, 
the three essential grades of the Ministry were found in all 
parts of the Church. 

2. In reckoning up these Inferior Orders, there is no 
steady series to be observed, whereas the Three Holy Orders 
of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, are invariable. 

3. It would seem that any one of the Inferior Orders might 
perform the ministrations of the rest, which is not the case 
with the three regular orders. 

4. Inferior Orders might be conferred by Priests, while 
the functions of the Ministry were never given but by 
Bishops. 

5. In the time of Ignatius, there were none of the Inferior 
Orders in being, whereas Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, 
occur in almost every page in his Epistles ; therefore these 
Inferior Orders could not be of Apostolical institution, as the 
others certainly were. 

6. They were called Orders only in a loose and improper 
sense. Sometimes they were disciplined as laymen, and the 
greater part of their duties were such as a layman might per- 
form. 

In a word, none of them have been in all Churches and ages ; 
not any of them were ever thought necessary ; nor is there 
any ecclesiastical ministration, but what may be performed 
without them ; and they were clearly of human institution, 
and may be laid aside by human authority."* 

" Infidels." In one of the Collects for Good Friday, we 
pray, that the benefits of the atonement which we then com- 
memorate, may be extended not only to the faithful, but to all 
others, embraced under the four heads of" Jews, Turks, In- 
fidels, and Heretics.'* The term Infidel was probably de- 
signed to embrace all classes of the Heathen, it having for. 

* Johnson on the Canonical Codes. 



INN 275 

merly been used as synonymous with "pagan." Custom 
has now assigned to it the general meaning of " unbeliever ;" 
and taken in this sense, there is a striking gradation in the 
terms of the prayer. Jews first, as being a people distin- 
guished by revelation, and for whom many and great pro- 
mises are in reserve. 2. Mahometans, who, though far in- 
ferior to the Jew, in the amount of truth embraced in their 
system, yet still acknowledge the God of Abraham, Isaac, 
and Jacob. 3. Infidels, whose creed being a mere negation, 
is ipso facto inferior to the former. And 4. Heretics, who 
not only deny the truth, like the latter, but also substitute 
pestilent and anti-Christian errors in its place. 

Initiated. In the early ages of the Church, this term 
was applied to those who had been baptized, and admitted to 
a knowledge of the higher mysteries of the Gospel. The 
discipline of the Church at that period, made it necessary 
that candidates for baptism should pass through a long pro- 
bation, in the character of Catechumens. While in this pre- 
paratory state, they were not allowed to be present at the 
celebration of the Eucharist ; and, in sermons and homilies 
in their presence, the speaker either waived altogether any 
direct statement of the sublimer doctrines of Christianity, or. 
alluded to them in an obscure manner, not intelligible to the 
uninitiated, but sufficiently clear to be interpreted by those 
for whom they were intended, viz : — the baptized or initiated. 
Hence the phrase so common in the homilies of the Fathers, 
" the initiated understand what is said." 

Innocents* Day. One of the holy-days of the Church. 
Its design is to commemorate one of the most thrilling events 
in the Gospel history. " The Innocents were they who suf- 
fered death under the cruel decree of Herod, who thought, 
by a general slaughter of young children, to have accom- 
plished the death of the infant Jesus. They are so called 
from the Latin term innocentes or innocui, harmless babes, 
altogether incapable of defending themselves from the malice 



276 INS 

of their inhuman persecutors. The celebration of the mar- 
tyrdom of these innocents was very ancient. It occurs on 
the 28th of December." 

Installation. The act of conferring an office or dignity, 
or investing a person with the powers appertaining to such 
an office. In the Church of England, " the word is chiefly 
used for the induction of a Dean, Prebendary, or other ec- 
clesiastical dignitary, into the possession of his stall or other 
proper seat, in the cathedral to which he belongs." 

Institution. The act of conferring upon a Presbyter 
the spiritual charge of a parish or church, by a public service 
adapted to the occasion. 

The 39th General Canon provides, that on the election of 
a Minister to such a charge, the Vestry shall give notice to 
that effect to the Bishop, or where there is no Bishop, to the 
Standing Committee of the Diocese, in a form set forth in 
section 1st of the Canon. Inquiry is then made as to the 
" sufficiency of the person so chosen," and on a decision in 
his favour, his election is recorded by the Secretary of the 
Convention, and his Institution may take place according to 
the form appointed in the Prayer-book. 

In the American Church, the Offices of Institution and 
Induction are blended into one service ; but in the Church 
of England they are kept distinct. By Institution proper, 
the spiritual charge of a Church is conferred; while by 
Induction, a right is given to the temporalities of a living. 
According to the usages of the Church of England, Induction 
is performed by the " Inductor laying the hand of the Clergy- 
man upon the key of the Church-door, pronouncing at the 
same time a short legal formula, and thus letting him into the 
Church, where he signifies his corporal possession by tolling 
a bell." * 

The following anecdote in the life of Herbert, may illus- 



* British Magazine, 1R37, p. 643. 



INT 277 

trate this ceremon3\ "When at his Induction, he was shut 
into Bemerton Church, being left there alone to toll the bell, 
(as the law requires him,) he stayed so much longer than an 
ordinary time before he returned to those friends that stayed 
expecting him at the Church-doOr, that his friend, Mr. Wood- 
not, looked in at the Church-window, and saw him lie pros- 
trate on the ground before the altar : at which time and place, 
(as he after told Mr. Woodnot,) he set some rules to himself, 
for the future manage of 'his life; and then and there made a 
vow to labor to keep them." * 

Institution, Letter of. On the election of a Clergy- 
man to the charge of a parish, and the approval of the same 
by the ecclesiastical authority of the Diocese, the Bishop 
transmits to the Presbyter who shall perform the Office of 
Institution, a letter authorizing and licensing the pastor-elect 
to exercise his sacred functions in the Church to which he is 
elected. This " Letter of Institution " is read in the presence 
of the congregation, near the beginning of the appointed 
Office of Institution. 

Institutor. a Presbyter appointed by the Bishop to 
Institute a Clergyman as R'^ctor or Assistant Minister in a 
Parish. Where there is no Bishop, the appointment may be 
made by the Clerical members of the Standing Committee. 

Intercessions. That part of the Litany in which, hav- 
ing already prayed for ourselves, we now proceed to sup- 
plicate God's mercy for others. The Intercessions are 
accompanied by the response, "We beseech thee to hear us, 
good Lord." See Litany. 

Intercessor. One who pleads in behalf of another. 
The title is applied emphatically to Jesus Christ, " who ever 
Hveth to make intercession for us." The practice of the 
Romanists in investing angels and departed saints with the 
character of intercessors, is rejected by the Protestant Epis- 

* Walton's Lives, p. 319. 
24 



278 INV 

copal Church, as resting on no Scriptural authority, besides 
being derogatory to the dignity of our Redeemer. 

Interdict. In the Church of Rome, an ecclesiastical 
censure, forbidding the performance of divine offices in a 
kingdom, province, town, &c. " This censure has been fre- 
quently executed in France, Italy, and Germany ; and in the 
year 1170, Pope Alexander III. put all England under an 
interdict, forbidding the Clergy to perform any part of divine 
service, except baptizing of infants, taking Confessions, and 
giving Absolution to dying penitents. But this censure being 
liable to the ill consequences of promoting libertinism and a 
neglect of religion, the succeeding Popes have very seldom 
made use of it." 

Interludes. Before the Reformation, this word had 
reference to certain theatrical entertainments, connected with 
sacred subjects, which the gross corruption of the times per- 
mitted to be performed even within the walls of consecrated 
places. 

At the present day, it is applied to those musical strains or 
performances which are played on the organ, &c,, between 
the verses of metre psalms and hymns. 

Intermediate state. Bee }1eIj1., Descent into.' 

Introit. In the ancient Church, (and also in the Church 
of England so late as the reign of Edward VI.,) a Psalm 
was always sung or chanted immediately before the Collect, 
Epistle, and Gospel. As this took place while the Priest 
was entering within the rails of the altar, it acquired the 
name of Introitus or Introit. This part of the Liturgy is 
now -rejected, and the vacant place supplied by a metre 
psalm selected at the discretion of the Minister. 

Invention of the Cross, See Cross, Invention of the. 

Invitatory. " In the service of the Western Church be- 
fore the Reformation, the invitatory was commonly some 
select passage or text of Scripture, generally adapted to the 
day, and used immediately before and during the repetition 



INW 279 

of the venite. The invitatory at certain closes and periods 
of the psalm, was of old, and still is in the Romish Church, 
repeated nine times during the singing of the psalm."* 

Invocation of Saints. The act of appealing, in devotional 
exercises, to the spirits of saints departed, with a view of 
securing their aid and intercession. This custom, so preva- 
lent in the Romish Church, is declared in our 22d Article to 
be " a fond thing vainly invented, and grounded upon no war- 
ranty of Scripture, but rather repugnant to the Word of 
God." 

Invocations. The solemn appeal to the mercy of God, 
with which the Litany opens. In this, there is a separate 
invocation of each of the Persons of the Holy Trinity, and 
then an invocation of the whole Godhead, Father, Son, and 
Holy Ghost. Every part of this is to be devoutly repeated 
by the people, after the Minister, that each for himself may 
claim the ear of a merciful God, and be blessed with the 
answer of all those petitions, which, in the following parts of 
the Litany, the Minister is about to present at His throne. 

" Inwardly Digest." This expression occurs in the Col- 
lect for the 2d Sunday in Advent, in which we pray that we 
may " read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest" those Holy 
Scriptures which God has caused " to be written for our 
learning." It is not enough that we merely read them, for 
this may be done even by the ungodly ; but we should also 
7nark or particularly notice what we have read, in order that 
we may gain wisdom from the exercise, and thus learn the 
truths which God has revealed. But this is not all, for God's 
word is to the soul, what food is to the body. And, as na- 
tural food does not benefit the body until it is digested, so 
divine truth or spiritual food is useless without meditation 
and prayer. Therefore we pray that, by the help of God, 
we may not only learn the truths of the Bible, but may also 

♦ Shepherd. 



280 JOH 

" inwardly digest " them, by frequently reflecting and medita- 
ting upon them, that our souls may thus be nourished, and 
daily grow in grace. Beautifully does the Psalmist describe 
such a person, as one who — 

*' makes the perfect law of God 

His business and delight ; 
Devoutl}' reads therein by day, 

And meditates by night." 



J. 



St. James's Day. The day on which the Church cele- 
brates the memory of the Apostle James the Great, or the 
Elder. He was one of the sons of Zebedee, and brother of 
St. John. It does not apj>ear that he ever exercised his 
ministry out of Judea. His martyrdom occurred at an early 
date, Herod having " stretched forth his hands to vex certain 
of the Church, and killed James the brother of John with the 
sword." ' He, was the first of the- Apostles that suiSered^ mar- 
tyrdom. 

■ Jesus, howingat the name of. See Bowing at the name, &c. 
> St. John Baptist's Day. The day on which the Church 
celebrates the birth of John Baptist. It will be observed, 
that whereas other festivals are celebrated on the supposed 
day of the saint's rfe«i/i, this is appointed for tViat of St. 
John's nativity, the only one, except that of our Blessed Sa- 
viour, for which the Church assembles with thanksgiving. 
The circumstances and design of his birth were so full of 
significance and so wonderful, that this in a peculiar manner 
claims our praise to God. 

" Though this Saint laid down his life for the truth of his 
preaching ; yet he was not a Christian martyr, as our Sa- 



JOH 381 

viour's Apostles were, who suffered in testimony of the Gros- 
pel of Jesus Christ. 

His memory, however, is celebrated by the Christian 
Church, because he was the forerunner of our blessed Lord, 
and by preaching the doctrine of repentance, paved the way 
for publishing the Gospel." 

There was formerly another day set apart in commemo- 
ration of the martyrdom of John ; but this is no longer ob- 
served, 

St. John the Evangelist's Day. The day appointed for 
the commemoration of "the beloved disciple." 

** St. John the Evangelist (so called from the Greek term 
which signifies the messenger of glad tidings,) was a Galilean 
by birth, the son of Zebedee and Salome, the younger brother 
of James, but not of him who was surnamed the Just, and 
who was the brother of our Lord. His brother James and 
he were surnamed by Jesus, the Sons of Thunder, for their 
peculiar zeal and fervency for his honour, which we see 
manifested in St. John's sedulous assertions of our Lord's 
divinity. He was the most beloved by our Saviour of all 
the disciples." 

St.- John exercised his ministry in Asia Minor ; and having 
excited enemies through preaching the doctrines of Christ, 
he was carried prisoner from Ephesus to Rome, in the year 
92. Subsequently to this he was banished to the Isle of 
Patmos, where he wrote his Revelation. He was afterwards 
recalled from his exile by Nero the Emperor, and then re- 
turned to Ephesus. His three Epistles were written with a 
reference to some prevailing heresies of the times ; and the 
scope of his Gospel, which was his last work, shows that the 
Apostle had in view the same deniers of the divinity of the 
Saviour. He survived till the reign of Trajan, and died at 
the age of nearly one hundred years. 

St. John the Evangelist's day is on the 27th of December. 
24* 



282 JUR 

JosHtTA. The book of Joshua. See the catalogue of 
books of Scripture in the 6th Article. 

Journal of Convention. A book or pamphlet in which 
are recorded the proceedings of an Ecclesiastical Conven- 
tion, together with the Address of the Bishop, and an account 
of the state of the Church. See Convention. 

Jubilate Deo. (" O be joyful in God.") One of the 
Psalms appointed to be used after the second Lesson in the 
Morning Service. It is the ^ame with the 100th Psalm in 
the Psalter. 

" Jure Divino.'^ By divine right: — an expression fre- 
quently occurring in controversial writings, especially in re- 
lation to the Ministry of the Church. 

It is evident, and generally confessed, that the right to 
minister in holy things is not in every man's power. If it 
were so, the very idea of the Ministry, as a distinct class of 
men, empowered to act " in Christ's stead," would be broken 
up, and the Church would lose its character as a society, for that 
implies the existence of officers, and of subordination. It is 
also confessed, that in the Christian Church, men are not horn 
to the Ministry, as they were under the Jewish dispensation. 
Whence then comes that authority with which the ambassa- 
dor of Christ is invested ? Is it human 1 Can any body of 
men confer the power to rule and minister in a society, the 
full control of which is in the hands of the Eternal God ? 
Most evidently not. Human power, or a commission derived 
from human sources, is as void and inadequate in qualifying 
for the functions of the Ministry, as it would be in the at- 
tempt to create a world, or to found a new rank in the hier- 
archy of heaven. We are driven then, at once, to the di- 
vine institution as the foundation of all legitimate power in 
the Church. 

The Head of the Church established a Ministry, with the 
right and ability to execute all its appointed functions. It 
was not intellectual eminence, or high station, or influence, 



JUR 283 

wealth, courage, or any other human attribute, which brought 
into being " the glorious company of the Apostles ;" but it 
was the sovereign power alone of Him, " in whom dwelt all 
the fulness of the Godhead bodily." And was this power to 
be recalled on the demise of those who were every day 
doomed to stripes, imprisonments, perils, and death in a thou- 
sand shapes ? No ; for either the Church of the future must 
fail, — the sacraments be obliterated, — the " watching for 
souls " be abolished, — or the continuation of the sacred Min- 
istry must be demanded, with all its original spiritual func- 
tions. To the Apostles, therefore, was given, (jure divinOf) 
and to them alone, the ability to perpetuate or transmit the 
gift which the Redeemer had bestowed. From them the 
prerogatives of the episcopacy, (or apostolate,) were commur 
nicated to younger men, including the transmissive or or- 
daining faculty. Under these, the Elders and Deacons were 
put in trust with a share of the original grant of ministerial 
power, — a power they were themselves incapable of delega- 
ting ; and by an unbroken succession, in the line of Bishops, 
the divine commission has reached these latter days of the 
Church. 

If then, as we have shown, divine right is the only founda- 
tion on which the Ministry can stand, there is no alternative 
left to any one claiming office in the Church of God, but to 
vindicate the legality of his mission by miracle, or some other 
tangible divine verification, which no man can dispute ; or 
else, to bring forth such credentials as Timothy, Titus, and 
the Ministers ordained by them, had to show, viz. — the sim- 
pie evidence of the fact, that the Apostles, or their succes- 
sors, had imparted to them the authority they claim to pos- 
sess. This every Bishop, Priest, and Deacon in the Episco- 
pal Church, is prepared to do. See Episcopacy, and Un- 
interrupted Succession. 

Jurisdiction. The power and authority vested in a 
Bishop, by virtue of the Apostolical commission, of govern- 



284 KEY 

ing and administering the laws of the Church within the 
bounds of his Diocese. The same term is used to express 
the bounds within which a Bishop exercises his power, i. e., 
his Diocese. 



K. 

Keys, Power of the. The authority existing in the Chris- 
tian Priesthood, of administering the discipline of the Church, 
and communicating or withholding its privileges, so called 
from the declaration of Christ to Peter, Matt. xvi. 19. " And 
I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven ; 
and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in 
heaven ; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, shall be 
loosed in heaven." The power here promised, was after- 
wards conferred on Peter and the other Apostles, *when the 
Saviour breathed on them, and said, " Receive ye the Holy 
Ghost. Whose-soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto 
them ; and whose-soever sins ye retain, they are retained. " 
John, XX, 22-23. 

In the Scriptures, keys are emblematical of power and 
government ; " for he who has the power of opening and 
shutting a house, that is, of admitting into it, and excluding 
from it, has undoubtedly the government of that house. In 
this sense the word is used in Isaiah, xxii. 22 ; and Rev. iii. 7. 
There can therefore be no doubt, but that by the keys of the 
kingdom of heaven which Christ promised to Peter, was 
meant the government of his Church. " Whatsoever thou 
shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven ; and whatsoever 
thou shalt loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven," must 
relate to the use of the keys, the government of the Church, 
and must mean, whatever act of authority thou shalt duly 
execute in my Church, in consequence of that power which 



KYR 285 

shall be committed to thee, shall be ratified in heaven ; God 
will confirm it."* See Dr. Hammond's tract " Of the Power 
of the Keys ;" also the article Absolution. 

*'. Kindly." Natural, usual, according to kind, or in agree- 
ment with constitution ; as, " the kindly fruits of the earth ;" 
i. e., the fruits which the earth naturally produces. Wiclif 
remarks, " We see that all things kindly [naturally] after 
travail seek rest. God in six days made heaven and earth, 
and all things within them, and rested on the seventh day." 
Again : " Since kind [nature, natural affection] teaches the 
sinful to give goods to their children, how much more will 
God, author of goodness and charity, give spiritual goods, 
profitable to the soul, to his children whom he loves so much." 

" Kinds, both." See " Both kinds." 

" Knappeth." An obsolete word occurring in Psalm xlvi. 
9th verse. Prayer-book version, thus, " He breaketh the bow, 
and knappeth the spear in sunder;" that is, "he snaps (or 
breaks) the spear in pieces." In the Bible translation it 
reads, "he cutteih the spear in sunder." , 

Kneeling. The posture which the Church prescribes^ in 
prayers, acts of confession, &c. This attitude is strikingly 
expressive of humility, and appropriate to the solemn offices 
in which it is used. It is vindicated by the example of our 
Redeemer, and the practice of many eminent saints in both 
the Old and New Testament. Under this high authority, 
connected with the reasonableness of the thing itself, and the 
venerable antiquity of the custom, it is with evident propriety 
adopted by the Church, as the most becoming and reverential 
posture in which our supplications can be offered. Resj>ect- 
ing kneeling at the Communion, an objection is answered in 
the article Adoration, which See. 

Knell. A bell tolled at funerals. See also Passing Bell. 

Kyrie eleison. The Greek of " Lord have mercy" upon 

♦ Bishop Seabury's Sermons. I. p. 71, 72. 



286 LAM 

us. This earnest and pathetic appeal of the penitent heart 
has, from the Apostolic age, been freely incorporated into the 
Liturgies of the Church. In our own, it is of frequent oc- 
currence — so frequent indeed, that exceptions have some- 
times been taken to our forms as tinctured with an overabun- 
dant sorrow and self-abasement, for those who are called to 
be the sons of God. The fault, however, is fortunately on 
the right side ; and, as Bishop Sparrow remarks, on the Ky- 
rie between the commandments, " if there be any that think 
this might have been spared, as being fitter for poor Publicans 
than Saints, let them turn to the Parable of the Publican and 
Pharisee going up to the Temple to pray, St. Luke, xviii., and 
there they shall receive an answer."* 



Laic, or Laical. Pertaining to the Laity or people of a 
Church. A layman, is also denominated a laic. 

Laity. The people of a congregation or Church, as dis- 
tinguished from those who are ordained to the Ministry. 

Lambeth Articles. See Articles, Lairibeih. 

Lammas-day. A festival of the Romish Church, other- 
wise called St. Peter^s chains, or »S^. Peter in the fetters, in 
memory of the imprisonment of that Apostle. Two deriva- 
tions have been given of the name Lammas. 1st. The lite- 
ral sense, arising from a ludicrous notion of the vulgar, 
" that St. Peter was patron of the Lamis, from our Saviour's 
words to him, " Feed my lambs. "f 2. From a Saxon word 
meaning " Loaf-mass,^^ it having been the custom of the 



Bishop Sparrow's Rationale, p. 209. * Wheatly. 



LAY 287 

Saxons to offer on this day [August 1] an oblation of loaves 
made of new wheat, as the first fruits of their new corn."* 

"Laudable Service." This expression occurs in the 
Collect for the 13th Sunday after Trinity, thus — " Almighty 
and merciful God, of whose only gift it cometh that thy faith, 
ful people do unto thee true and laudable service,''^ &c. By 
this we are not to understand that there is any real merit 
or value in our good works, so that God .ought injustice to 
reward us for them ; for this would be wholly contrary to 
the doctrine of Scripture and the Church. But yef, it is 
possible for all Christians to render to God a service which 
shall be pleasing to him ; and by living " soberly, righte- 
ously, and godly in this present world," to obtain, in the end, 
those promises which he has made to all his faithful people. 
Christians who thus live, render to God a " laudable ser- 
vice," — and therefore, in the " Visitation of the Sick," the 
Minister prays for them, that " their faith may be found, in 
the day of the Lord, laudable, glorious, and honourable," &c. 
But yet, in all this, we are taught by the Church, that of our- 
svlves we can do nothing, for, says the 10th Article, " we 
have no power to do good works, pleasant and acceptable to 
God, without the grace of God by Christ preventing us," 
6z;c. — that is, enabling and helping us — (according to the old 
use of the word.) And in the Collect above-mentioned, it is 
also said, that it is only from the gift of God that we are made 
able to do " true and laudable service." 

Lay. Relating to the people, as distinguished from the 
Clergy. 

Lay-baptism. Baptism administered by persons not in 
holy orders, i. e. by laymen. Under the designation of 
" laymen," the Church includes both those who are avowedly 
such, and those who rank as clergy in non-episcopal denomi- 



*^Wheatly. 



288 LAY-BAPTISM. 

nations, — because, their ordinations being invalid, their ori- 
ginal rank as laymen remains unchanged. 

The question of the validity or invalidity of Lay-baptism, 
is one of those matters on which it would scarcely become us 
to speak peremptorily, when it is well known that, in the ab- 
sence of any absolute decision of the Church, contrary deter- 
minations have been arrived at, by those who have an equal 
claim on our respect. It should also be understood that the 
present work is not designed as a record of private opinion, 
but an exhibition of the principles and practice of the 
Church. So far then as these are clear, our course is plainly 
marked out ; — so far as there may be obscurity, it rests not 
with us, but with the proper ecclesiastical authorities to 
frame and pronounce determinations. With this under- 
stood, we put into the reader's hand what follows. 

It is a first principle in the Church of God, that no one 
has a right to execute any function of the ministry, till he 
has been lawfully invested with the ministerial office. It is 
also confessed that the administration of baptism is one of 
the functions of the ministry. It follows, therefore, that none 
have a right to administer baptism, but those holding minis- 
terial authority. Here then, there can be no dispute ; — lay- 
men have no right to baptize. But what if they should bap- 
tize, in spite of this virtual interdict ? Is there any force or 
validity in an act done in open violation of a fixed principle 
of the Church ? Here is the important question of the con- 
troversy — the very " pith of the matter ;" and it resolves it- 
self into this simple inquiry : — Suppose that a layman has no 
right to baptize, has he also no ability ? The distinction be- 
tween these it will be well to keep in view. A man may 
have ability to do an action, without the right to exercise that 
ability, and so vice versa. And again, a citizen may be in 
full possession of intellectual and physical qualifications for a 
public office ; but without either right or ability to perform 
the authoritative acts of such an office, till these are confer- 



LAY-BAPTISM. 289 

red upon him by the superior power. Whence then does a 
layman derive any dhiliiy to baptize ? We do not here mean 
the abihty to perform the physical act of reciting the form, 
and pouring the water, (for these are in every one's power,) 
but that of standing as God's agent in effecting " a death unto 
sin, and a new birth unto righteousness ;" — in conferring 
remission of sins, and declaring that " hereby," in this very 
act of usurpation, " the children of wrath are made the chil- 
dren of grace." How can any one, not a lawful minister, pos- 
sess ability to this extent ? With all humility, we reply, that 
we know not, unless the sacrament work tx ojpere operatum. If 
a layman should perform the external part of ordination, con- 
firmation, absolution, consecration of the Eucharist, &;c., we 
agree in the conclusion, that this is null and void, because he 
has no power over the internal and spiritual part of such of- 
fices. If Baptism, therefore, be any thing more than an ex- 
ternal ceremony, the same conclusion would seem to follow, 
for any thing we can learn from Scripture to the contrary. 
We have no proof that Christ ever promised to sanction lay- 
baptism ; — or that he conferred the power of baptizing on 
any but the clergy ; — or that the Apostles ever imparted it 
to any but other clergy ; — or that Christ ever pledged him- 
self to bind or loose in heaven what laymen might bind or 
loose on earth. To say the least, then, there is very great 
uncertainty as to the spiritual effect of baptisms administered 
by those whom neither the Head of the Church, nor his 
Apostles, ever commissioned to baptize. This appears to us 
SL manifest result of the principle from which we started ; and 
unless that principle be preserved, we see not how the integ- 
rity of the Church can be maintained, or how the preroga- 
tives and powers of the ministry can be asserted ; or why, 
except as a mere matter of expediency, there should be any 
ministry at all. For, if it be granted that though laymen 
have no right to perform priestly offices, yet, if they choose, 
they can perform them, — i. e., their usurped acts are ratified 
25 



290 LAY-BAPTISM. 

in heaven, equally with those of an empowered ministry ; — 
this is to overturn the very foundations of Apostolic order, — 
to deprive the clergy of their divine commission, or to effec- 
tually neutralize it, — and finally, to reduce their office, in the 
judgment of the world, to the low rank of a mere literary 
profession or ecclesiastical employment. 

So much, then, for the legitimate consequences of the prin- 
ciple on which the doctrine of the Ministry rests. But when 
we turn to the practice of the Church, we are struck with an 
apparent contrariety. In very early times, the baptisms of 
laymen, and of degraded or schismatical priests, were not in 
all cases repeated, though there were not wanting those who, 
like St. Cyprian, were resolved to maintain the strictest view 
of their invalidity. That such baptisms were suffered to 
pass, in the century next after the Apostles, it would be diffi- 
cult to prove ; and in the succeeding age, the probability is 
that they were only tolerated in cases of extreme necessity. 
Still, the fact is undeniable, that for more than a thousand 
years, lay baptisms have occurred in the Church, and in 
such cases rebaptization was not always thought necessary. 
How, then, could the Church vindicate herself in a pro- 
cedure which seemed subversive of one of her cardinal prin- 
ciples 1 — for, at first sight, the charge of inconsistency ap- 
pears inevitable ; and yet, as every tyro knows, the ancient 
Church was tenacious of her rights, and exact in her admin- 
istration, almost to a proverb. To us, the key to the mat- 
ter seems to have been this. While the Church acknowl- 
edged no authority in laymen to baptize, yet, if they did g<;) 
through the regular forms, the external part of the sacrament 
■\yas actually performed. Hence, in all such cases, diligent 
inquiry was made whether the element of water was applied, 
and whether this was done in the name of the sacred Trinity. 
On proof of this, the concession was made that so far baptism 
had been given. But while the Church allowed that laymen 
could perform the external part of baptism, she seems to 



LAY-BAPTISM. 29l 

have denied altogether that they could communicate its spirit- 
ual graces : and, therefore, if we mistake not, a lay-baptism 
was never esteemed perfect, complete, and without defect ; 
i. e., valid both in its external and internal parts. A person 
so baptized, on returning to the unity of the Church, or on ap- 
plication for admittance to its higher privileges, was received 
without the repetition of the external part of the initiatory 
sacrament, but was endued with remission and the Holy 
Spirit, by the laying on of the Bishop's hands in Confirma- 
tion, these spiritual gifts being those which were wanting in 
the applicant's lay-baptism. Now, if this was so, the Church 
stands clear of any charge of inconsistency ; nay more, she 
exhibited her adherence to principle in the strongest light, 
by treating lay-baptism as a mere form of that sacrament 
" without the power thereof." This, we think, was the or- 
dinary practice of the Church. And though Confirmation is 
an ordinance distinct from Baptism, yet it always preserved 
a closer alliance with that sacrament than with the holy 
Eucharist, being anciently given either in immediate connec- 
tion with Baptism, or at a period very little subsequent 
to it. 

So far as the irregular baptisms of heretics and schismatics 
were concerned, it is incontestable that the compensating 
practice just referred to, was very generally adopted. And 
that confirmation was given, in such cases, not only for the 
conferring of its own proper graces, but also with the direct 
object of correcting the deficiencies of a previous baptism, 
is manifest from the language of early writers. Leo, in wri- 
ting to Nicetius, Bishop of Aquileia, remarks, "that such as 
received baptism from heretics * * * * were to be received 
only by invocation of the Holy Spirit, and imposition of 
hands, and that because they had before only received the 
form of baptism, without the sanctifying power of it." " St. 
Austin supposes," says Bingham, " that they [who are thus 
baptized] receive the outward visible sacrament, but not the 



292 LAT-BAPTISM, 

invisible, internal, sanctifying grace of the Spirit." These 
graces " heretics and schismatics were not supposed qualified 
to give, nor they, who desired baptism at their ha.nds, quali- 
fied to receive, till they returned with repentance and charity 
to the unity of the Church again ; and then the Church, by 
imposition of hands, and invocation of the Holy Spirit, 
might obtain for them those blessings and graces, which 
might have been had in baptism," &c. This was the general 
sense of the Church ; for which reason they appointed that 
imposition of hands should be given to such as returned to 
the Church, in order to obtain the grace of the Holy Ghost 
for them by prayer, v/^hich they wanted before, as having re- 
ceived baptism from those, who had no power to give the 
Holy Ghost. Innocent says, that " their ministrations were 
defective in this, that they could not give the Holy Ghost ; 
and therefore such as were baptized by them were imperfect, 
and were to be received with imposition of hands, that they 
might thereby obtain the grace of the Holy Ghost." " This," 
adds Bingham, " was the true and only method of supplying 
the defects of heretical baptism, as is evident from all the 
passages which speak of the use of the sacred unction, which 
was joined with imposition of hands and prayer, to implore 
the grace of remission of sins, and the other gifts of the 
Holy Spirit, which were wanting before."* Confirmation 
was therefore regarded as supplying all that was deficient in 
the unauthorized baptisms of heretics and schismatics ; and 
though less is said about the usurped baptisms of orthodox 
laymen, yet analogy would lead us to judge that a resort was 
had to the same expedient to relieve their imperfection. 
This much we know, that the ancient Church stood firmly 
on principle, and yet that laymen sometimes baptized, in 
direct defiance of that principle ; and in such cases, the ex- 

♦ The cases here supposed^ let it be remembered, were those in which 
the form and the matter of the sacrament had been adhered to; for if 
there was any deficiency in these, the baptism was always repeated. 



LAY-BAPTISM. 293 

ternal part was frequently not repeated ; — therefore by some 
process this imperfect baptism was legalized and consum- 
mated, and we read of no other such process than that just 
stated. 

After acquainting the reader with the above hypothesis, it 
is the part of candor to state, that it is by no means free from 
difficulties. The question may be asked, How much of the 
sacrament was supposed to reside in the external act ? Was 
Church-membership acquired by that, or by the supplement- 
ary imposition of hands ? If by the latter, what Scripture 
authority is there for considering confirmation, in any case, 
as an initiatory rite 1 Again ; can baptism be divided, so as 
to separate its "outward and visible sign" from its ''inward 
and spiritual grace? " These, and many other inquiries, we 
shall not pretend to resolve; and have introduced them only 
to apprize the reader of the bearings of the case on both sides. 

By those who, instead of adopting this theory, carry out 
strictly the principle, that it is essential to true baptism that 
there be not only the form and the element, but also a lawful 
Minister, the administration of the rite by laymen, is of course 
accounted a mere nullity, and therefore always to be repeated. 
Sound as this view may be, there are consequences flowing 
from it, as startling as they are inevitable. For, not only 
have large numbers of persons been admitted to full com- 
munion in the Church, on the basis of a lay-baptism never re- 
peated, but many of the Clergy of all ranks stand in the 
same predicament. In the American Episcopal Church, this 
is peculiarly the case, on account of the frequent accessions 
gained from other religious bodies. If then, baptism by an 
authorized ministry be the only door of entry into the 
Church, all these are yet in the position of unbaptized persons, 
and consequently not members of the Church, though they 
may be ministers of it. To solve this difficulty, it is alleged 
that official authority in any society, is not dependent on 
actual membership ; and cases have been referred to, in the 

25* 



294 LAY-BAPTISM. 

usages of corporate and other bodies, to justify this position in 
relation to the Church. There is also one example in the New 
Testament, bearing directly in favor of the hypothesis, viz., 
the fact, that St. Paul was undeniably in the highest office of 
the ministry, (an Apostle,) for some time before he received 
baptism: Acts ix. 9-18. Compare xxvi. 16, and Gal. i. 1. 
This is a curious fact, and well deserving of consideration. 
It goes to show, at least, that ordinations are not rendered 
null by the want of baptism ; and this would seem to hold 
good, especially in those cases where the defect was not 
wilful, but the mere result of untoward circumstances. If 
St. Paul had ordained, or performed any other clerical func- 
tion, in the time intervening between his reception of the Apos- 
tleship and his baptism, there can be no doubt that such acts 
would have been held valid by the Church. This may serve 
as a sketch of the views of those who advocate the theory, 
that the ministerial succession may be preserved, though 
baptism be wanting. 

In the Church of England, and that of the United States, 
there is some diversity, both of opinion and practice, respect- 
ing lay-baptisms. By some, they are regarded as valid ; by 
others, as imperfect, till ratified by confirmation, or by the 
use of the hypothetical form ; and by a third class, as totally 
invalid, and therefore always to be repeated by a lawful 
Minister. At the time of the Reformation, it is remarkable 
that, at first, the practice of the Romish Church was retained, 
by allowing laymen to baptize infants, in cases of sickness ; 
but at a period a little later, the rubric was so altered as to 
interdict the practice altogether. By the rubrics of the 2d 
and 5th of Edward VL, it was ordered, that "them that be 
present" shall "call upon God for his grace, and say the 
Lord's Prayer, if the time will suflfer : and then one of them 
shall name the child, and dip him in the water, or pour water 
upon him, saying," &c. But in the book of Common Prayer 
of 1575, the aherations were printed in the rubric thus: — 



LAY 295 

"Let the lawful Minister, and them that be present, call upon 
God for his grace, and say the Lord's Prayer, if the time will 
suffer : and then, the child being named by some one that is 
present, the said Minister shall dip it in the water, or pour 
water upon it," &c. This would seem to show a desire, on 
the part of the Church, to prevent laymen from baptizing, 
even in cases of necessity; and yet, as Bishop Fleetwood 
remarks, "in no public act hath the Church ever ordered 
such as have been baptized by lay hands, to be re-baptized by 
a lawful Minister, though at the time of the Restoration, there 
were supposed to be in England and Wales two or three hun- 
dred thousand souls baptized by such as are called lay hands." 

In the American Church the same position is maintained, 
though efforts have been made, but ineffectually, (as in the 
General Convention of 1811,) "to procure a declaration of 
the invalidity of lay-baptism." Bishop White opposed both 
the measure and the principle, holding that such baptisms 
were valid, and that the contrary opinion, when first broached 
in England, had the "strongest appearances of a political 
manoeuvre, played off against the family on whom the suc- 
cession to the crown had been settled by act of parliament." 

When Bishops disagree, it is not for us to decide; and 
therefore, having now given the reader an abstract of the 
state of the question, we leave him to judge as well as he can, 
where lies the preponderance of truth, and the place of 
greatest safety. That the lawfully ordained Ministers of 
Christ have the power and right of administering true bap- 
tism, is incontestable. Whether any o^Agrs possess the like 
power, we shall know and acknowledge, when they produce 
their commission to " Go and teach all nations, baptizing 
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the 
Holy Ghost." 

Lay-impropriation. In England, a Church or ecclesias- 
ticalbenefice in the hands of a layman. 

Layman, or Laic. One of the laity or people of a par* 



296 LEG 

ish ; that is, a man who is not a Clergyman, but a private 
Christian. 

Lay-reader. In Churches which are destitute of a Min- 
ister, or at times when he is absent from his parish, or pre- 
vented from officiating, by sickness, &c., one of the Church- 
wardens, or Vestrymen, or other fit person from among the 
laity, may read the public service and a printed sermon in 
his stead. To such a person the designation of a lay-reader 
is given ; that is, a layman who, in cases of emergency, con- 
ducts the ordinary service of the Church. Such readers are 
subject to the ecclesiastical authority of the Diocese in which 
they officiate. 

The regulations of the Church in respect to Candidates for 
Orders, who are lay-readers, are thus expressed in Canon XX. 
of the General Convention. 

" No candidate for holy orders shall take upon himself to 
perform the service of the Church, but by a license from the 
Bishop, or, if there be no Bishop, the clerical members of the 
Standing Committee of the diocese in which such candidate 
may wish to perform the service. And such candidate shall 
submit to all the regulations which the Bishop or said clerical 
members may prescribe ; he shall not use the absolution or 
benediction ; he shall not assume the dress appropriate to 
clergymen ministering in the congregation ; and shall offi- 
ciate from the desk only ; he shall conform to the directions 
of the Bishop or said clerical members, as to the sermons or 
homilies to be read ; nor shall any lay-reader deliver ser- 
mons of his own composition ; nor, except in cases of extra- 
ordinary emergency, or very peculiar expediency, perform 
any part of the service, when a clergyman is present in the 
congregation." 

Lectionary. In the ancient Church, a book which con- 
sisted of lessons from the Old and New Testaments, corre- 
sponding to our Law, Epistles, and Gospels. " The Lection- 
ary often contained the Gospels as well as the other Lessons ; 



LEN 297 

but generally the Gospels were read from a separate volume 
called Evangelistarium."* 

Lecture. A discourse usually of a more simple and 
familiar character than a sermon. The term, however, is 
frequently applied to those occasional sermons which are 
preached on week evenings, or holy-days, and at other times, 
either with or without the full services of the Church. 

Lecturer. In England, a preacher chosen by the vestry 
or congregation, to deliver sermons or lectures without being 
invested with the rectorship or pastoral charge of the Church 
in which he officiates. The lecturer is generally the after- 
noon preacher, but occasionally is appointed for some stated 
week-day. Courses of lectures are also endowed by benevo- 
lent individuals, and the Minister appointed to deliver them is 
permitted so to do on obtaining the approbation of the Bishop, 
and the consent of the rector of the particular Church for 
which the lectures were established. 

In the United States the term is applied to any one who 
occasionally or at stated times delivers lectures. 

Lent. The holy seasons appointed by the Church will 
generally be found to date their rise from some circumstance 
in the life of our Lord, some event in Scripture history, 
or a desire to keep in remembrance the virtues and piety of 
the saints who adorned the early Church. But the origin of 
the season of Lent is not so obvious, though it is usually sup- 
posed that Lent is observed in commemoration of our Sav- 
iour's temptation and fasting of forty days in the wilderness. 
It is most probable that the Christian Lent originated from a 
regard to those words of the Redeemer, " the days will come 
when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and 
then shall they fast in those days." We learn from the his- 
tory of the Church, that the primitive Christians considered 
that in this passage Christ had alluded to the institution of a 

♦ Origines Liturgicse, I. p. 308. 



298 LENT. 

particular season of fasting and prayer in his future Church. 
Accordingly, they, in the first instance, began this solemn 
period on the afternoon of the day on which they commem- 
orated the crucifixion, and continued it until the morning of that 
of the resurrection. The whole interval would thus be only 
about forty hours. " But by degrees this institution suffered 
a considerable change, different however at different times 
and places. From the forty hours, or the two days originally 
observed, it was extended to other additional days, but with 
great variety in their number, according to the judgment of 
the various Churches. Some fasted three days in the week 
before Easter, some four, and others six. A little after, some 
extended the fast to three weeks, and others to six, and other 
Churches appointed certain portions of seven weeks in suc- 
cession. The result of all this was the eventual fixing the 
time at forty days, commencing on the Wednesday in the 7th 
week before Easter, and excluding the intermediate Sundays." 
It is not, however, to be supposed that the Church remained 
long in uncertainty on this point, for it appears that the Lent 
of forty days can be traced to a period very near that of the 
Apostles.* That its term of forty days was settled at a very 
early period, is evident from the writings of the Bishops of 
those times, who refer us, in vindication of it, to the example 
of Moses, Elias, and our Lord, all of whom fasted forty days. 
From all this, then, we arrive at the conclusion that though 
fasting is frequently alluded to in the Scriptures as a Chris- 
tian duty, yet the set times for it are to be referred solely to 
the authority of the Church. It may here be remarked, that 
the name we apply to this season, is derived from the time 



* The 6 1st Apostolic Canon is in these words : " If any Bishop, Priest, 
Deacon, Reader or Singer, do not keep the Holy Fast of Lent, forty days 
before Raster, or the Wednesdays and Fridays, let him be deposed, if he 
be not hindered by some bodily infirmity ; but if he be a layman, let him 
be suspended from Communion." 



LENT. 299 

of the year when it occurs. The term Lent, in the Saxon 
language, signifies Spring ; and as we use it, indicates merely 
the Spring fast, preparatory to the rising of Christ from the 
grave. 

The Lenten fast does not embrace all the days included 
between Ash- Wednesday and Easter ; for the Sundays are 
so many days above the number of 40. They are excluded, 
because the Lord's day is always held as a. festival, and never 
as a fast. These six Sundays are, therefore, called Sundays 
in Lent, not Sundays of Lent. They are in the midst of it, 
but do not form part of it. On them we still continue, 
without interruption, to celebrate our Saviour's resurrection. 

The principal days of Lent are the first day, — Passion 
week, — and particularly the Thursday and Friday in that 
week. The first day of Lent was formerly called " the Head 
of the Fast," and also by the name which the Church retains, 
— Ash- Wednesday. In the Church of England there is a 
solemn service appointed for Ash- Wednesday, under the 
title of a " Commination, or denouncing of God's anger and 
judgments against sinners." This was designed to occupy, 
as far as could be, the place of the ancient penitential disci- 
pline, as is sufficiently declared in the beginning of the office 
in the English Prayer-book. On the review of the Prayer- 
book by the General Convention of the Am.erican Church, it 
was thought proper to omit this office, only retaining three 
of its prayers, \^hich are now inserted after the Collect for 
Ash- Wednesday. The last week of Lent, called Passion 
Week, has always been considered as its most solemn season. 
It was called " the Great Week," from the important trans- 
actions which were then commemorated, — and " Holy Week," 
from the increase of devotional exercises among believers. 
The Thursday in Passion Week is that on which we cele- 
brate the institution of the Lord's Supper, — it being on this 
day that Christ first partook of it. The Epistle for the day 
has been selected b}^ the Church with a view to this fact. 



300 • LENT. 

On the following day we commemorate the sufferings and 
particularly the death of our Saviour Christ. And, from the 
mighty and blessed effects of these, in the redemption of 
man, the day is appropriately called " Good Friday." As 
this day has been kept holy by the Church from the earliest 
times, so has it also been made a time of the strictest devo- 
tion and humiliation. 

From these brief remarks, (for many of which we are in- 
debted to Bishop Mant, and Wheatly,) will be seen the au- 
thority, the antiquity, and the purport of the season of Lent. 
It was no invention of a corrupt Church in the dark ages, 
when the greater part of the world was burdened with a pon- 
derous, load of ceremonies ; but it was in full vigour when 
Christianity was in her prime, — when she could boast of a 
high degree of purity, zeal, and holiness. We do not need 
to be informed, that in the Romish and other Churches, Lent 
has suffered some abuse. We know the fact, and acknowl- 
edge it ; but if it were on this account rejected, we should 
proceed on a mere sophism, and with equal reason might re- 
ject the lioly Communion, because in another Church it is 
held in connection with the dogma of transubstantiation. If 
we are to cast aside every thing in religion which has been 
abused, it is a question whether any thing would be left but 
simple Atheism ; for not a doctrine or observance can be 
mentioned, which has not, in some age of the Church, been 
coupled with extravagance and fanaticism, and has suffered 
long and patiently, till some bold spirit came forward to 
strip away the delusion, and restore the truth in its ancient 
beauty. It is the aim of the Episcopal Church, to follow as 
far as she can, the consecrated usages of primitive antiquity. 
She would ascertain the doctrines and forms of the genera, 
tions of Christians who lived next after the Apostles ; and 
having found these, she embraces, preserves, and teaches 
them, even though they may have been surrounded for awhile 
in other Churches, with corruption. The Church is not so 



LES 301 

unwise as to throw away the jewel, because dust has accu- 
mulated on its surface, but rather removes with care what- 
ever is superfluous, and restores it to its original lustre. If 
there is any superstition in Lent, let it be proved, and it will 
soon be purged away ; but the objector should bear in mind, 
in this as well as in other matters, that the greatest supersti- 
tion is that which, in its own self-adoration, becomes really 
superstitious in assailing imaginary superstition. 

Lessons. The chapters of the Bible which are read in 
the Church service. Of these there are two on each ordi- 
nary occasion of divine worship ; the first taken from the 
Old Testament, and the second from the New. In the Cal- 
endar and Tables at the beginning of the Prayer-book, may 
be seen what chapters are appointed by the Church to be 
read on every day throughout the year. The first table is 
for Sundays. It states the names of all the Sundays in the 
year, and the Lessons which will be appropriate for both 
morning and evening of each of those days. The chapters 
for the first lessons are selected from the books of the Old 
Testament in regular order, except on Easter and Whit- 
Sunday, — which days being two of the great festivals of the 
Church, have lessons particularly adapted to them. For the 
second lessons, on Sundays, chapters from the Gospels and 
Acts of the Apostles are read in the morning, and others 
from the Epistles in the evening. 

The next table of lessons is for the other holy-days, such 
as Saints' days, and Christmas, Epiphany, &;c. &c. The 
table shows what portions of Scripture will be appropriate 
for the events commemorated on those days. Thus, for 
Christmas day, on which the Church celebrates the birth of 
Christ, the first lesson in the morning service is Isaiah, 9th 
to the 8th verse, where it is prophesied, — " Unto us a child 
is born, unto us a Son is given," &c. The second lesson is 
from Luke, ii., which gives us an account of the birth of 
Christ, with the appearing of the angel to the shepherds at 

26 



302 LET 

Bethlehem, and their visit to the young child Jesus, whom 
they found " wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a 
manger." In the afternoon, the lessons are, in like manner, 
selected to agree with the design of the day, and will be 
found similarly appropriate. The same remarks apply to 
the lessons on other holy-days. 

"Let." In the Collect for the fourth Sunday in Advent, 
occurs the expression, — "■ Sore let and hindered," &c. The 
word " let " is here used in its obsolete sense, of" impeded," 
or " retarded." The sense is this : — " We are exceedingly 
hindered and obstructed in running the race that is set be- 
fore us." 

The word is used in the same sense in the following pas- 
sages of Scripture : — " I will work, and who shall let it ?" — 
i. e., "who shall hinder it?" "Wherefore do ye, Moses and 
Aaron, let the people from their works ?" — i. e., " why do 
ye hinder them in doing their work ?" Saint Paul, address- 
ing the Romans, says : — " I purposed to come unto you, (but 
was let hitherto," &c.) ; meaning, not that he was furthered^ 
but impeded in his design. Again : — " The mystery of ini- 
quity doth already work ; only he who now letteth will let 
until he be taken out of the way ;" — i. e., " he who now re- 
straineth or hindereth, v/ill continue to restrain until he be 
taken away." 

The following may serve still further to illustrate this use 
of the word : — " To glorify God in all things, is to do nothing 
whereby the salvation of Jew, or Grecian, or any in the 
Church of Christ, may be let or hindered."* 

" All Priests and Deacons are to say daily the Morning 
and Evening Prayer, either privately or openly, not being let 
by sickness or some other urgent cause. "■]■ 

Wiclif has a treatise, entitled, " Twelve lettings [hindrances] 
of Prayer." In the introduction, he says : — " Here follow 



* Hooker. t Preface to the English Prayer-book. 



LiG 303 

twelve lettings of Prayer, whereby men may know better 
why they are not heard, in their prayer, of God, alway, when 
they pray." 

" Let us Pray." It has long been a custom of the Church, 
to awaken and recall attention in the public services, by the 
use of this and similar exhortations. In the ancient Churches, 
it was common for a Deacon frequently to call out, " Let us 
'pray^'' or " het us pray earnestly,'''' or "Brethren, let us pray 
7nore earnestly." The simplest only, of these forms, is re- 
tained by the Episcopal Church, and found in her services, 
*' warning us thereby to lay aside all wandering thoughts, 
and to attend to the great work we are about ; for though 
the Minister alone speaks most of the words, yet our affec- 
tions must go along with every petition, and sign them all at 
last with an hearty A?nen."* 

License. A permission granted by the Bishop to a Can- 
didate for Orders, authorizing him to read services and ser- 
mons in a Church, in the absence of a Minister. Also, the 
liberty to preach, which the Bishop may give to those who 
have been ordained Deacons, if he judge them to be qualified. 
See the " Ordering of Deacons," in the Prayer-book, where 
the Bishop says to those he is ordaining : — " Take thou au- 
thority to read the Gospel in the Church of God, and to 
preach the same, if thou be thereto licensed by the Bishop 
himself." 

" Lighten." In the English Prayer-book, this word is 
sometimes used in the sense of coming upon or alighting : as 
in the last but one verse of the Te Deum : — " O, Lord, let 
thy mercy lighten [alight] upon us." In the American edi- 
tions, this is changed to, — " let thy mercy be upon us," — 
which preserves the sense, but not the allusion. The word 
is also used in the sense of " enlighten " in the English Col- 

* Wheatly. 



304 LIT 

lect, in Evening Pi-ayer, for " Aid against Perils," thus : — 
" Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord," &c. 

Linen Cloth. For thirteen hundred years at the least, 
it has been customary to use a white linen cloth, for covering 
the elements on the altar at the Holy Communion. And in 
agreement with so venerable and reasonable a custom, the 
Episcopal Church ordains, that the altar " at the Commun- 
ion time," shall have a ^^fair white linen cloth xx^oxi it." It 
is also ordered, that, after all have received the Communion, 
the Minister shall place on the Lord's Table " what remain- 
eth of the consecrated elements, covering the same with a 
fair white linen cloth.^^ 

In God's house, every thing should be done " decently and 
in order ;" not only for our own comfort and convenience, but 
especially to show our deep reverence for that Being to whose 
service these earthly temples are dedicated. And surely, 
among all the services of the sanctuary, none can have 
greater demands on our afFection and respect, and in none 
can we more fully realize the presence of an All-seeing God, 
than the holy sacrament of the body and blood of Christ. 
Here then, should fevery thing, even the externals of the rite, 
be pure and clean, strongly reminding us, of that unspotted 
holiness which becomes us when we approach to " such 
a heavenly feast," and of the sinless perfection of that Divine 
Redeemer whose death and sacrifice we here commemo- 
rate. 

Litany. The term " Litany " is used by ancient writers 
in many different senses. At first, it seems to have been ap- 
plied as a general appellation for all prayers and supplica- 
tions, whether public or private. In the 4th century it was 
given more especially to those solemn offices which were 
performed with processions of the Clergy and people. 
" Public supplications and prayers to God, on occasions of 
especial urgency, were certainly prevalent in the Church 



LITANY. 305 

during the 4th and 5th centuries."* These supplications 
were called litanies in the Eastern Church, from whence the 
name passed to the West. Here they were known as roga- 
tions or supplications, until the name of "litany" became 
more prevalent than any other. " The Church of England ap- 
pears to have received the stated rogation or litany days of 
the Gallican Church at an early period, and from that time 
to the present, she has reckoned them among her days of 
fasting. Formerly in this Church, there were processions 
on all these days."* 

The Litany of the Episcopal Church is not an exact tran- 
script of any ancient form, though composed of materials of 
very ancient date. It differs essentially from the Romish 
Litanies, by containing no invocations to angels and departed 
saints. Our invocations are made to the three Persons of 
the sacred Trinity, and to them alone, while the office of 
Mediator and Intercessor is throughout ascribed only to our 
Lord Jesus Christ. 

In the original arrangement, the Litany formed a distinct 
service, not used at the time of the other services. But by 
later usage it has been united with the Morning Prayer, 
though still retaining its separate place in the Prayer-book. 
Formerly, there was a rubric, requiring that " after Morning 
Prayer, the people being called together by the ringing of a 
bell, and assembled in the Church, the English Litany shall be 
said after the accustomed manner ;" — and it was also required 
that " every householder dwelling within half a mile of the 
Church, should come, or send some one at the least, of his 
household, fit to join with the Minister in prayers." The or- 
dinary arrangement was to hold Morning Prayer at 8 o'clock, 
the Litany at 9, and the Communion at 10. This practice is 
still observed in some of the English Churches ; and Bishop 
White, in his Memoirs of the American Church, remarks 



♦ Origines Liturgicae. 
26* 



306 LIT 

that, when he was in England, being on a visit to the Arch- 
bishop of Canterbury, he observed that on Wednesdays, he 
with the other Bishops, retired to the chapel before dinner ; 
and on accompanying them he found that their object was to 
use the Litany, in compliance with the original custom. 

The Litany is usually considered as embracing four main 
divisions, viz., the Invocations, Deprecations, Interces- 
sions, and Supplications. These we have enlarged upon 
under their appropriate heads, to which the reader is referred. 

In the American Prayer-book, the Litany differs from the 
English only in the alteration of local allusions, the change 
of a few obsolete words and phrases, and in the reading of 
the part called the Supplications being left discretionary. 

LiTURGic, or Liturgical. Relating to a liturgy, or a 
regular prescribed form of divine worship. A liturgical 
service (like that in the Prayer-book for example) is distin- 
guished from one which is extempore^ or composed by the 
Minister while he officiates. 

Liturgy. This term was originally used to denote the 
service or form employed in the celebration of the Eucharist. 
In the Eastern Churches, that service was frequently called 
the "divine" or "mystical" liturgy; while in the West, 
though the term " liturgy " was used, yet the name of " missa " 
was more common. At the present day, the word is employ- 
ed to designate the ordinary prescribed service of the Church» 
either with or without the Communion office. 

Much has been said, and with great reason, about the 
authority of precomposed forms, and their obvious advan- 
tages over a mere extempore effiDrt. In the first place, there 
are not only traces of them, but numerous examples, in holy 
writ ; and it would be safe to assert, that they are as ancient 
as the Church of God. The song of Moses on the overthrow 
of Pharoah and his host, was evidently a form, or it could 
not have been sung (as it was) by Moses and the host of 
Israel. Surely they must have been acquainted beforehand 



LITURGY. 307 

with that sublime anthem, in N^'hich all had to bear a part. 
In the book of Deuteronomy we have a form of prayer en- 
joined by God himself, to be used in the case of a man found 
slain by an unknown hand. By the same divine authority, a 
form of blessing was appointed to be used, as a standing 
order of the Church. (Numbers vi. 24, 25, 26.) In the 
journey in gs of the Israelites, there was a stated form used by 
Moses on the setting forward, and also on the resting of the 
ark. But one of the most remarkable proofs in point, is the 
book of Psalms, which is a collection of forms used in the 
temple service. That these were written for the use of the 
congregation, as well as for the choirs, appears from the 
titles of several, and from the responsive character of others. 
There was in them a peculiar fitness for thi» purpose ; and 
they contain within them, a breadth of meaning, a compass 
of design, which is as limitless as the emotions of the soul 
are various. The Christian Church received these from the 
Jewish, and has delighted in all ages to continue them as 
established forms, and to utter forth her praises and suppli- 
cations in their noble lansrua.^e. 

That the service of the Temple was mainly, if not alto- 
gether, conducted by set forms, is a fact so well established 
that it needs no argument. To deny it, would be to reject 
countless testimonies and proofs, both ancient and modern. 
The synagogue worship was also by a prescribed form, the 
prayers of which are even now extant, and are standing 
proofs of this fact. And from this we gather, that whenever 
our Saviour Christ attended divine worship in these sacred 
places, he must have united in the use of the public liturgies. 
As a collateral proof of this, it is observable that the bitterest 
enemies of our Lord never accuse him of irregularity in 
undervaluing or neglecting the ordinary service, which would 
have been one of their first charges against him, had it been 
true. And on the other hand, with whatever severity he 
inveighs against ecclesiastical abuses, he never attacks forms 



308 LITURGY. 

of prayer, nor cautions his disciples against joining in them, 
though it is manifest that they did this, whenever tiiey en- 
gaged in the ordinary public services. But this was not all. 
Our Lord actually composed a form of prayer at the request 
of his disciples, and gave it to them for their future use. His 
disciples wished for a form. Now here would have been a 
fair opportunity for the expression of his disapprobation, had 
there been reason for it. But though it had been a standing 
custom with the Jewish doctors to furnish their pupils with 
such forms, yet Christ did not number it with the corruptions 
of the Scribes and Pharisees, but sanctioned it with his best 
approval, in furnishing his disciples with the form called the 
Lord's Prayer. 

After glancing at the evidence from Scripture, an appeal 
may be made to ihe practice of the universal Church ; and 
here we have a triumphant argument in our favor, for from 
the earliest ages of the Christian Church, liturgies, or forms 
of prayer, have been in constant use. The writings of the 
Fathers abound with notices of them, and with the very forms 
themselves. Some of these liturgies bear the names of Mark, 
Peter, and James : and though it is not probable that they 
were written by these inspired men, yet, that they were used 
in the first ages of the Church, is unquestionable. The 
liturgy of St. James was well known by St. Cyprian in the 
early part of his life, which was less than one hundred years 
after the death of St. John. Ancient writers bring to our 
notice about 50 different liturgies. These prevailed in all 
the Churches, and were the standing order of divine wor- 
ship; while on the other side, there does not appear any 
proof that public extempore prayer was known in the services 
of the Church, If it be alleged, that though precomposed 
prayers were in use at a very early date, yet they were, not- 
withstanding, an innovation on the original mode of conduct- 
ing public worship, we ask for the evidence of such a re- 
markable change as is here implied. It is undeniable, that 



LITURGY. 309 

before the year 140 after Christ, liturgies were established 
throughout the universal Church, and we find no ancient 
writer stigmatizing them as an usurpation, and urging the 
greater claims of the extempore method. A change so 
remarkable and so general could not have taken place 
silently, — there would necessarily have been long and sharp 
contests about it. Strange it is that those who advance the 
plea, do not show us the warfare ; — strange that, if the eccle- 
siastical world had thus been turned upside down, the van- 
quished made no complaint, but locked up their griefs in 
their own bosoms! The only explanation of the difficulty is, 
that no such change ever took place. Forms of prayer were 
from the beginning; and we can now lay our hand on the 
liturgies which were used in the early Church. We have 
the very prayers which Christians breathed out, when the 
Apostles were scarcely cold in their graves : — the very 
prayers which were uttered by the martyrs, when put to death 
by the Roman Emperors in the first ages, — which armed the 
souls of the most heroic men — men who feared not torture, 
but joyously gave up their lives for the sake of Christ. Let 
the reader now balance fact against hypothesis, — truth against 
speculation, and he cannot fail of the conclusion, that, pre- 
composed prayers have been coexistent with the Church, and 
are supported by the suffrages of Christ and his Apostles, 
with Bishops, Martyrs, Confessors, and the concurrent testi- 
mony of the universal Church. 

If forms of prayer rest on such authority, it might seem 
idle to notice objections ; but for the sake of those who care 
little for authority, a remark or two may not be out of place. 

It is objected, 1st, that forms destroy or impair the spirit 
of prayei-. If this be true, then Christ himself, and the 
Apostles, and primitive Christians, were less devout than we 
have been accustomed to suppose, and the true spirit of 
prayer has been scantily enjoyed in the public services of 
the Church through the long period intervening between the 



310 ■ LITURGY. 

dawn of Christianity and the present age. Will the objector 
admit this ? We think not ; and yet it is a fair consequence 
of his allegation. But further : if forms are injurious to de- 
votion, all Christian societies are exposed to the same bad 
influence. For, in point of fact, a liturgy is not more a 
form, than a public extemporaneous prayer. The one is a 
printed, the other a spoken, form. A minister may use a 
prayer conceived at the moment of utterance ; and yet this 
very prayer becomes a form to every member of the congre- 
gation, as much so as if it had been composed and printed 
long before. There is no such thing in public use as abso- 
lute extempore prayer. We will retract this assertion so 
soon as we hear of a congregation, in which every individual 
makes his own prayer, without following the leading of the 
minister or of any second person. This would be real hona 
Jide extempore prayer ; but it becomes an actual form the 
moment that one person depends on the language of another. 
And such extemporaneous forms a-s are in use by dissenters, 
are more open to objection than an established liturgy ; for 
in this, every one knows beforehand the nature of the peti- 
tions to be offered, and has opportunity to prepare himself to 
join in them " with full purpose of heart;" while in the other 
case, the mind is incessantly distracted with a torrent of new 
words and phrases, all of which must pass in review before 
the judgment, before the worshipper can be in a condition to 
give his assent. We should say then, that a prescribed form 
was infinitely more favourable to the cultivation of a devo- 
tional spirit, than one which besets the hearer with a constant 
train of novel expressions, and places him in the attitude of 
a critic, rather than that of an humble suppliant. 

2. It is said that forms engender listlessness and spiritual 
languor, while extempore prayers excite and kindle the affec- 
tions. But if the forms alluded to be those of the Episcopal 
Church, the fault must be in the worshipper ; for those forms 
abound with the very language of Scripture, and have ani. 



LITURGY. 



311 



mated the souls of the holiest of men, yea, even at the 
scaffold and the stake. Extempore effusions with less of in- 
spiration about them, may indeed act upon the feelings and 
animal sensibilities ; but all this may be " strange fire," and 
not the flame of true devotion. Dearer far than this, is that 
profound humility which should distinguish the penitent, 
bringing, with a throbbing heart, his lowly petition to 
heaven's gate, rather than approaching the Eternal Presence 
in a transient ecstasy, kindled up by the force of human elo- 
quence, or the glitter of a poetical fancy. 

It is only necessary to add, that, while the Church inter- 
dicts the use of extempore prayer in public worship, she lays 
no restraint on Christians in their private devotions. Here 
there is less danger of abuse, and therefore all are free to 
adopt that mode which they best approve. Yet, even here, 
so admirable are the forms of devotion which have emanated 
from the pens of the saints of all ages, — so touching their 
appeals to divine grace, — so felicitous their delineation of 
every possible state of mind which a believer may experi- 
ence, that it would hardly seem reasonable to abandon these, 
for the imperfect and sometimes laborious expressions which 
the moment itself may suggest. Every pious man is not 
gifted with ability to look upon and depict the full breadth of 
his actual wants. There are many, who, with devotional 
feelings of the highest character, are notwithstanding, inca- 
pable in a great degree of declaring those very desires which 
reign in their hearts. In the pressing abundance of their in- 
ward thoughts, they have no definite conception of words and 
phrases, in which to appeal to the mercy-seat of God ; and 
after a crude and wearisome attempt, often rise from their 
knees with the exclamation, " Surely the half hath not been 
told !" These persons, in the soul-thrilling supplications of 
the shining lights of the Church, find a most welcome relief, 
and an invaluable treasure. And through the aid of memory, 
they are provided with fervent prayers and petitions, suitable 



312 LIT 

to every variety of circumstance. There they look upon 
the embodying of their own innermost desires, and have a 
double joy, in this provision for their incompetency, and in 
the assurance of a community of experience with those 
whom all acknowledge to have been " masters in Israel." If 
such advantages attend forms for private use, the Church 
stands nobly vindicated in prescribing them for her public 
services. No other aim has she, than the glory of God in 
the salvation of man ; and if this may be promoted by teach- 
ing her sons to pray, as Christ taught his disciples, — by re- 
moving the impediments of supplication, and multiplying its 
facilities, — ^by withdrawing all temptations to vain. glory and 
personal display, then may we thank God for the " goodly 
heritage " he has given us in a Church, so faithful in her 
discipline, so wise in her counsels, so gentle and maternal in 
all her ministrations. 

Liturgy, History of the. In the primitive Church, many 
of the liturgies were in the Syro-Chaldaic and Greek lan- 
guages. But at the period immediately preceding the Re- 
formation, the form in use was in Latin, and consisted of 
translations of some of the ancient prayers, combined with 
others of a later date, and all adapted to the superstitions 
which at various times had become interwoven with the ser- 
vices of the Church. What these superstitions were, may 
still be seen in the Roman Breviary and Missal, which 
abound with addresses to departed saints — adoration of the 
host* — worship of the Virgin Mary, of images, and of relics, 
with many other things of a like nature. This form of ser. 
vice was established by the law of the land and the Canons 
of the Church, and thus no other could be adopted without 
censure and punishment. The fact of the whole being in a 
language not understood by the people, (with the exception 

♦ The bread in the Euchnrist. 



LITURGY. 31 3 

of those who had the benefit of a learned education) was in 
itself an obstacle which prevented them from joining with 
understanding in the service, and from deriving any profit of 
a vspiritual nature. 

At the Reformation, therefore, two things were regarded 
as peculiarly necessary. These were, 1st, the translation 
of the service into the English or vulgar tongue, so that men 
might " pray, not with the spirit only, but with the under- 
standing also," agreeably to St. Paul's instructions ; and 2d, 
the purging of the whole from those things which were super- 
stitious, and which had no tendency to edify or benefit the 
people. It will be observed that our Reformers had no de- 
sign to introduce an entirely new service, but to purify that 
whicli had come down from the primitive Church, and 
restore it to that scriptural form which it had possessed in 
the earliest and best ages. The Reformers felt that it was 
both unreasonable and unjust to sweep away the whole, on the 
ground that some part had become corrupt. They knew too 
well that the foundation of the existing liturgy was laid in 
Scripture, and had been sanctioned by the holiest and purest 
of men. They went about this work with no furious and 
fanatical zeal ; but with calmness and full self-possession, 
accurately weighing all that was before them in " the ba- 
lances of the sanctuaiy," and retaining only such portions as 
would survive the test, and outlive the most thorough and 
well-judged scrutiny. 

The first step in this work was the appointment of a com- 
mittee by the Convocation in the year 1537, to compose a 
book, which was entitled, " The godly and pious Institution 
of a Christen man^ containing the Lord's Prayer, the Ave 
Maria, the Creed, the ten commandments, and the seven 
sacraments, &c. This book, whatever errors were contained 
in it, was yet of no trifling consequence in the illumination 
of the public mind. In the years 1540 and 1543, it was re- 
published, with corrections and alterations, and assumed the 
27 



314 LITURGY. 

new title of " JL necessary doctrine and erudition for any 
Christen manr This book was *' set furthe hy the King, 
with the advyse of his Clergy ; the hordes bothe spirituall 
and temporall, with the nether house of Parliament, having 
both sene and lyked it very weW 

In the year 1540, under Henry VIII., a committee of 
Bishops and divines was appointed to reform the rituals and 
offices of the Church. And what was done by this commit- 
tee, was reconsidered by a Convocation, two or three years 
afterwards, viz., in 1542-3. In the next year, the King and 
his Clergy ordered the prayers for processions and litanies 
to be translated into English, and to be publicly used. Finally, 
in the year 1545, the book called the "King's Primer," 
was published, and in this were found the Lord's Prayer, the 
Creed, the ten Commandments, the Venite, the Te Deum, and 
a variety of other hymns and Collects in English, several 
of which are in the same version in which we now use 
them. 

So far, things had progressed in the reign of Henry VIII., 
relative to the purification of the service of the Church. 
The prudence with Avhich the compilers proceeded cannot 
have escaped notice. No rashness is perceived in their con- 
duct; but, as sound judgment dictated, the excrescences which 
deformed the face of the Church, were pruned away, little by 
little, without injuring the original and beautiful features 
themselves. 

In the first year of Edward VI., the Convocation declared 
that the Communion ought to be administered to all persons 
under " both kinds,''^ * and an act of Parliament was made, 
ordering the Communion to be so administered. Immediately 
after this, a number of Bishops and Clergy were appointed to 
compose an uniform order for the administration of the 
Eucharist, according to Scripture, and the practice of the 

* In the Romish Church the bread only is given to the laity. 



LITURGY. 315 

primitive ^Church. This was performed in a few days at 
Windsor Castle ; and the same persons, in the following year, 
entered upon a still nobler work, and in a few months finished 
the whole Liturgy, by drawing up public forms, not only for 
Sundays and Holy-days, but for Baptism, Confirmation, Matri- 
mony, Burial of the Dead, and other special occasions, in 
which was included the above form for the Communion ; and 
the whole book being thus framed, was set forth by the com- 
mon agreement and full assent both of the Parliament and 
of the two Convocations of the Provinces of Canterbury and 
York. The commissioners who were appointed to this 
work, were 13 in number, among whom were Cranmer and 
Ridley, two of the great Martyrs of the Reformation. They 
entered upon their task in May, 1548, and agreed to change 
nothing for the sake of change, but merely to endeavour, as 
far as circumstances would admit, to bring every thing back 
to the standard of the purer ages of the Gospel, by abolish- 
ing the erroneous doctrines, and in particular, the unnecessary 
ceremonies which Popery had introduced. In proceeding 
with this work, they carefully examined the Breviaries, 
Missals, and Rituals, together with the books of other offices 
at that time in use. These they compared with ancient 
Liturgies, and the writings of the Fathers. Whatever they 
found consonant to the doctrine of Scripture, and the worship 
of early Christian Churches, they generally retained, and 
frequently improved. But they rejected the numerous cor- 
ruptions and innovations which had crept in during the dark- 
ness of the later ages. 

Thus that excellent Liturgy, which is the boast of our 
Church, was compiled by Martyrs and Confessors, and by 
other Bishops and divines of profound learning and piety. 
And when we consider the purity of doctrine — the freedom 
from every thing superstitious — the beauty of language, and 
the strong devotional character with which it is pervaded, we 
cannot but wonder at seeing such a combination of excel- 



316 LITURGY. 

lencies come forth at a time when the Church was but just 
emerging into light ; and we have no reason to doubt the 
justice of the declaration made at the time, that the compilers 
must in a special manner have been blessed with the aid of 
the Holy Ghost. 

The Common Prayer-book we have now been describing, 
is generally known by the title of "the first book of Edward 
"VI." In this book, the morning and evening services began 
with the Lord's Prayer, at the place where it occurs in our 
present books. A number of rites and ceremonies were also 
retained in it, such as the use of oil in baptism — the anoint- 
ing of the sick — prayers for the dead — the mixing of water 
with the wine of the Eucharist, and some other things of less 
importance. The book had not been published more than 
about two years, before some exceptions were taken at these 
things, as savouring too much of 'superstition. To remove 
these objections, Archbishap Cranmer proposed to review it, 
and called to his assistance two foreigners, viz , Martin Bucer, 
and Peter Martyr. The alterations consisted in the banish- 
ment of the above-mentioned rites, and in the addition of 
the Sentences, Exhortation, Confession, and Absolution, at the 
beginning of morning and evening prayer, as they now ap- 
pear. This book was called the second book of Edward VI., 
and is nearly the same with that now in use. 

During the succeeding reign — that of Queen Mary, all 
that had been done was swept aside to make way for the 
worship of the Church of Rome, which she was determined 
to restore. Cranmer, Ridley, and Latimer, were brought to 
the stake, and the Reformation in England was threatened 
with a total extinction. 

The reign of tyranny quickly passed, and on the accession 
of Elizabeth, the English service was revived, and another 
review of the Liturgy was proposed, that it might be per- 
manently established for the use of the Church of England. 
No very material alterations were made at this review ; and 



LITURGY. 317 

the general satisfaction which was given by the authorized 
forms, warranted the hope, that every thing objectionable had 
now been purged away, and that no further revision would 
be needed. 

But in the beginning of the reign of James I., the Puritans, 
who had now become very numerous, petitioned for a reform 
of what they considered as abuses ; and, in consequence, the 
King appointed a conference to be held at Hampton Court, 
between a select number of Bishops and divines of the 
Church, and the principal leaders of the Dissenters, the King ' 
himself being present to hear the objections, and, if neces- 
sary, to make such alterations as might satisfy all parties. 
But their objections proved to be so exceedingly unreason- 
able, that all hope of agreement was at an end. Nothing 
more appears to have been done, than the insertion of a 
few additional Collects, and some further questions at the end 
of the Catechism, with lesser improvements of a similar 
nature. 

Descending to the time of Charles II., we come to a mem- 
orable period in the history of our Liturgy, when the des- 
cendants and disciples of those puritans who had been so 
clamorous for a reform of ceremonies, and what they termed 
ahuseSj in the beginning of the reign of James I., were but 
too successful in their schemes of innovation. These rest- 
less persons, upon the restoration of Charles II., began to 
devise means for the suppression of the Liturgy, or, at the 
least, for such a remodelling of it as would have amounted 
to much the same thing. They endeavored to prevail upon 
the King to discountenance the use of it in his own chapel. 
To this he replied, that " he hoped to find the Liturgy received 
in many places, and that in his own chapel he would suffer no 
other form of worship." Finding themselves disappointed in 
this, they attacked the use of the surplice, and begged that it 
might be immediately discontinued. The King again re- 
pulsed them with the reply, that " the surplice had always 
27* 



318 LITURGY. 

been reckoned a decent habit ; that though, for the present, 
he might be obliged to connive at disorder, he would never 
sanction irregularity by his own practice, nor discountenance 
the ancient and laudable customs of the Church in which he 
had been educated." For more than fourteen years, during 
the usurpation, the hierarchy had been overthrown, and the 
Liturgy laid aside. But now, the Bishops were reinstated, 
and the Church began to wear a gladdening aspect. In 
order to conciliate as much as possible those who raised ob- 
jections to the Liturgy, a review of it was authorized, and 
the persons selected for this work were Episcopalians, and 
Presbyterians in equal numbers, there being twenty-one of 
each. These were enjoined to compare the Common Prayer- 
book with the most ancient Liturgies that had been used in 
the Church in the purest and most primitive times. They 
were to avoid, as much as possible, all unnecessary alter- 
ations of the forms and Liturgy, with which the people were 
so well acquainted, from their having been so long received 
in the Church. These reviewers had many meetings at Sa- 
voy, but all to very little purpose. The conference, finally, 
broke up, without any thing done, except that some parti- 
cular alterations were made by the Episcopal divines, and 
the Office for the Baptism of those of riper years, with the 
forni of prayer to be used at sea, and a few less material ad- 
ditions, were made. These, in the May following, were 
agreed to by the whole body of Clergy, and, in a word, the 
whole Liturg)'' was then brought to that state in which it now 
stands ; and was unanimously subscribed by the houses of 
Convocation of both Provinces, on Friday the 20th of Decem- 
ber, 1661, 

At an early day in the history of the Episcopal Church in 
the United States, it was found necessary to revise the Lit- 
urgy, in order that it might be better adapted to the peculiar 
circumstances of the nation as independent of the British 
crown. For this purpose, in a Convention at Philadelphia, 



LITURGY. 319 

\ ■ 

in the year 1785, a number of alterations were made, and a 
general review of the Prayer-book was begun, for the 
removal of local allusions, obsolete expressions, and the 
remoulding of prayers for the civil authorities. These alter- 
ations were afterwards printed, and acquired the name of 
" the proposed book." At the Convention in Wilmington, 
(Del.,) in October, 1786, the Nicene Creed, which had been 
omitted in the proposed book, was again restored by general 
consent, while the Athanasian Creed was omitted. In 1792, 
the Ordinal was revised, and underwent a few alterations 
which seemed necessary to accommodate it to local circum- 
stances. At the Convention of 1795 a service was pre- 
scribed for the consecration of a church or chapel. This is 
substantially the same with a service composed by Bishop 
Andrews in the reign of James L, and now used in the 
Church of England, though not publicly authorized. In 1801, 
the subject of the Articles was finally settled, fox, after re- 
peated discussions and propositions, it had been found, that 
the doctrines of the Gospel, as they stand in the 39 Articles 
of the Church of England, with the exception of such mat- 
ters as are local, were more likely to give general satisfac- 
tion, than the same doctrines in any new form that might be 
devised. In 1804, an Office of Institution was framed, to be 
used at the Induction of Ministers to the Rectorship of 
Churches ; and at the Convention of 1808, thirty hymns were 
added to the book of metre psalms. 

Since that time, the Liturgy has had no additions or alter- 
ations of any material consequence, excepting the increase of 
the number of hymns to 212, and the publication of a selec- 
tion from the metre psalms, for the greater convenience of 
both Clergy and people. 

In the brief sketch here given of the history and progres- " 
sive formation of our Liturgy, none can fail to notice the ex- 
quisite care with which our reformers proceeded step by step 
from its beginning to its completion. It was not the offspring 



320 LOR 

of rash and furious zeal, — there was no hasty and indiscrim- 
inate rejection of every thing ancient, — but calmness, sound 
judgment, fervent piety, and scriptural examination, were all 
united in this great and noble undertaking. In the Liturgy 
we have the very words in which some of the most saintly of 
men chose to breathe out their devotions. There are the 
prayers of such men as Chrysostom, Gregory, and Cranmer, 
with a " noble army " of others, whose names are high in the 
estimation of every true Christian. And there we have the 
rich and heavenly spirit of the olden time, — the time when 
men " walked with God," and earnestly contended for the 
faith delivered unto them. If we shall ever catch the fervor 
of those primitive days, will it not be when the incense of 
prayer is offered in the same censer of antiquity ? Blame 
us not, then, if we value our Liturgy. It embodies the an- 
thems of saints. It thrills the heart with the dying songs of 
the faithful. It is hallowed with the blood of martyrs. It 
glows with sacred fire. Long may it resound in the temples 
of the crucified. Loud be its seraphic strains. Mighty its 
swelling chorus. Eternal the angelic hymn, Gloria in ex- 
CELSis Deo ! 

" Lively." Living, animated, or capable of communi- 
cating and sustaining life. Hence the Scriptures are called 
" lively oracles," and in the Prayer for the Church Militant, 
the " true and lively Word." 

Living. In the Church of England, an ecclesiastical bene- 
fice, or pastoral charge. 

Lord's day. The principal festival of the Christian 
Church, held in memory of our Lord's resurrection, and the 
triumphant evidence here given of the completion of the 
work of redemption. This festival, as distinguished from 
the ancient Sabbath, has been observed with great reverence 
from the earliest ages of Christianity. Under the title of 
" the first day of the week," it is several times alluded to in 
the New Testament, and was doubtless established by the 



lord's day. 321 

Apostles under instruction from their Divine Master. In 
Rev. i. 10, it is designated " the Lord's day," at least the 
obvious presumption is, that the Apostle John here referred 
to the first day of the week. He could not "mean the Jew- 
ish Sabbath," as Bingham remarks, " for then he would have 
called it so : nor any other day of the week, for that had been 
ambiguous, but the day ©n which Christ arose from the dead, 
on which the Apostles were used to meet to celebrate divine 
service, on which Paul had ordered collections to be made, 
according to the custom of the primitive Church. Seeing, 
therefore, he speaks of this as a day well known and used in 
the Church, it cannot be doubted, but that it was distinguished 
by this name from the received use and custom of the Church. 
For otherwise how could Christians have understood what 
St. John intended to signify by this name, if he had designed 
to denote any other day by it ?" It does not appear that the 
name of " Sabbath " was given to this day, but that of " Sun- 
day " was freely used by very early writers, as being the 
ordinary civil designation of the day, and, therefore, intelli- 
gible to all parties. It is used by Justin Martyr, Tertullian, 
Constantino, Valentinian, and Theodosius, interchangeably 
with the other title of " Lord's day." 

On this day it was that the early Christians assembled to- 
gether for the purpose of divine worship, and the celebration 
of the holy Eucharist. There can be no doubt that the 
Eucharist was administered every Lord's day, and that it 
formed the chief part of the primitive services. All the an- 
cient liturgies are, in fact, so many communion offices, and 
it was not till a later period, that the Sunday services were 
accounted complete, without the participation in the conse- 
crated mysteries of the Eucharist. 

The dignity and obligation of the Lord's day, were main- 
tained and enforced by the Canons of the Church, which pro- 
hibited all manual labour, public amusements, legal proceed- 
ings, &c., (except in cases of necessity,) and required all 



322 LOR 

Christians to be present at divine service, under peril of 
ecclesiastical censure, and even excommunication, if contu- 
macious. The day was always observed as a festival of the 
most joyous and animated description, and fasting was ex- 
pressly prohibited, even on those Sundays which occurred in 
the season of Lent. 

The reformed Church has been nobly instrumental in 
restoring the Lord's day to that eminence which it main- 
tained in the primitive age, but from which it had fallen in 
some degree during the intervening period. Men are not 
generally averse to the appropriation of a seventh day to a 
cessation of their ordinary pursuits and occupations ; but the 
difficulty is in persuading them to hallow and sanctify that 
day, as eminently " holy unto the Lord." Christians have 
always grounded this on divine obligation, while others 
maintain it on the basis of simple expediency. By the one, 
it has been consecrated as heaven's own gift ; by the other, 
as a period of mere relaxation, fortunately coinciding with 
the demands of physical necessity. To correct this discre- 
pancy, the Church asserted the divine obligation of the day, 
contending that, as God had spoken, man had no choice but 
to obey. Yet, in detailing the mode in which the day should 
be observed, she has studied the spiritual benefit of her chil- 
dren by general laws, rather than their annoyance by such 
judaical enactments as were put in force by puritanical off- 
sets from her communion. It is honorable to the Church 
that in this, as in other things, she has kept the middle path 
of truth, by requiring her sons to sanctify the day as a time 
of serene and heavenly enjoyment, equally removed from the 
abuses of secular mirth on the one hand, and of morose asce- 
ticism on the other. 

Lord's Prayer. That admirable form of devotion which 
was composed by our Blessed Lord, at the request of his dis- 
ciples. That it was designed to be used as a standing form, 
and was so used by the apostles and early disciples, can 



lord's prayer. 323 

scarcely be doubted ; and that it was in general use in the 
primitive Church, is apparent from the testimonies of a cloud 
of witnesses. A few of these we shall cite. Tertullian, 
who flourished about the year 200, says, " our Lord gave his 
new disciples of the New Testament, a new form of prayer." 
He calls it "the prayer appointed by Christ," and the "ordi- 
nary or customary prayer, which is to be said before our other 
prayers ; and upon which, as a foundation, our other prayers 
are to be built." St. Cyprian, who died about 150 years 
after the Apostles, tells us that " Christ himself gave us a 
form of prayer, and commanded us to use it ; because, when 
we speak to the Father in the Son's words, we shall be more 
easily heard." St. Chrysostom, who flourished about 300 
years after St. John, calls it " the prayer enjoined by laws, 
and brought in by Christ." St. Augustine says, that "we 
cannot be God's children, unless we use it ;" and an endless 
number of other Bishops and writers declare that this was 
given as a form of prayer, and that we are commanded to 
use it as such. So far then, we see on what abundant 
authority the Church rests, in her frequent use of the Lord's 
prayer. 

But besides this, the prayer itself is so divine and perfect 
that none more complete and authoritative can be conceived. 
It was framed by one who was equally familiar with the ex- 
tent of our wants, and the inexhaustible fulness of the God- 
head. In point of conciseness, simplicity, and pathos, it 
stands unrivalled. Though our Lord could have brought into 
use all the powers of brilliant language, sublime thought, and 
eloquent appeal, yet he calmly rejects them all, and as a les- 
son to his disciples in the Church of the future, adopts the 
plainest ideas, and employs the simplest expressions imagin- 
able. In this concise prayer, it is to be remarked, that he 
not only establishes the use of a form, but draws this very 
form from the liturgies then in use ; for almost every word 
and phrase of the Lord's Prayer may be traced in the forms 



324 LUK 

anciently employed by the Jews. Our Lord was not ashamed 
of liturgies, nor of planting that fruitful seed, which (as the 
event has proved) has germinated, grown, and expanded it- 
self into the liturgies which now give a protecting shadow to 
the Church Catholic. Long may we be grateful for this sa- 
cred boon, making it the model of our frequent supplications. 
This the Church has enjoined, " nothing terrified " by the 
charge of a superstitious adherence to her pattern, or the 
fear of being guilty of " vain repetitions." The words of 
Him who died for us, are too dear to be overruled by the 
dread of man's rebuke, — too sacred to give place to the mo- 
mentary effusions of even the best endowed among sinful 
men. Other words we may and do employ, as Christ, the 
Apostles, and the Christians of all times and places, have 
done before us ; but wo to the Church which will not pray as 
the Redeemer taught his disciples, — which brings its own 
complacent petition to the throne of mercy, and forgets " the 
effectual fervent prayer " of the great Intercessor between 
God and man. 

Lord's Supper. See Communion, Holy. 

" Loud Voice." See " Audible Voice." 

Low-Sunday. It was a custom among the ancients, upon 
the first Sunday after Easter-day, to repeat some parts of the 
solemnity of that great festival ; from whence this Sunday 
took the name of Low-Sunday, being celebrated as a feast, 
though of a lower degree than Easter-day itself. 

St. Luke the Evangelist. A Holy-day is appointed by 
the Church for the commemoration of this distinguished 
Evangelist. He was born at Antioch, where there flourished 
schools of the liberal sciences. In these Luke received his 
education ; and having completed his preliminary studies, 
applied himself to the study and practice of medicine.* He 



* The following observations on this point, by the autlior of the 
" Gold Headed Cane," are too good to be omitted :— 



Lxx 325 

was " the beloved physician " particularly mentioned by St. 
Paul, and " the brother whose praise is in the gospel." After 
labouring with St. Paul, and accompanying him to Rome, he 
wrote the gospel which bears his name. Subsequently to 
this he penned the Acts of the Apostles. Little is known 
respecting the sphere of his ministrations. It is affirmed by 
some that he visited Gaul, Italy and Macedonia : by others, 
that on leaving Rome he returned to the East, and from 
thence went to Africa, and converted the Thebans to the 
faith. That he finally suffered martyrdom, all are agreed. 

LXX. An abbreviation for the " Seventy," or Septua- 
gint translation of the Old Testament. The Septuagint, or 
Greek version of the ancient Hebrew Canon, takes its name 
from the number of persons employed in preparing it, which 
is generally stated as 70, though in reality 72. The work 
was accomplished under Ptolemy Philadelphus, more than 
two hundred years before Christ. 

The sign LXX is also used occasionally by the old divines 
for the seventy disciples of our Lord. 



♦* I have lately been reading the Gospel of St. Luke, and I need not 
point out to a scholar like yourself, and one who has paid so much 
attention to what I may call the medical history of the Bible, how 
much nearer the language of St. Luke, who was by profession a phy- 
sician, comes to the ancient standard of classical Greek than that of 
the otiier Evangelists. To be sure, it has a mixture of the Syriac 
phrase, which may be easily allowed in one who was born a Syrian ; 
yet the reading of Greek authors, while he studied medicine, made his 
language without dispute more exact. His style is sometimes even 
very flowing and florid, — as when, in the Acts of the Apostles, he de- 
scribes the voyage of St. Paul ; and when he has occasion to speak of 
distempers, or the cure of them, you must have observed that he 
makes use of words more proper for the subject than the others do. 
It is, besides, remarkable, that St. Luke is more particular in reciting 
all the miracles of our Saviour in relation to healing than the other 
Evangelists are ; and that he gives us one history, which is omitted 
by tlie rest, viz :— that of raising the widow's son, at Nain." 
28 



326 



M. 



Magnificat, or Song of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In 
the English Prayer-book, one of the hymns appointed to be 
said or sung after the 1st Lesson in Evening Service. It 
consists of the song recorded in Luke, i. 46, &;c., beginning, 
" My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath re- 
joiced in God my Saviour." In the American Liturgy it has 
given place to the first four verses of the 92d Psalm, proba- 
bly on the ground of the latter being thought more generally 
suitable to the purposes of public worship, 

" Majestic Manner." In the Preface to the Prayer-book, 
after recounting the labour spent in bringing the Liturgy to 
its present state of perfection, God's blessing is invoked on 
every endeavour for promulgating the truths of the Gospel, 
&c., " in the clearest, plainest, most affecting, and majestic 
manner,''^ — evidently referring to that dignity, awe, and sa,- 
cred reverence which should ever characterize the worship 
of God, and the proclamation of divine truth. 

Manual. A book sufficiently portable to be carried by 
hand. The term probably originated when books were gene- 
rally of far more ponderous dimensions than at the present 
day. By usage, the word now signifies a small treatise, 
book of devotions, or elementary work, fitted for general use, 
and convenient reference. 

St. Mark's Day. This day is designed for the comme- 
moration of the Evangelist Mark. As there are several 
persons of this name in the New Testament, some difficulty 
has arisen in determining which of them was the Evangel- 
ist. If we take the decision of antiquity, it will be in favour 
of Mark the convert, or son, as he is called, of St. Peter. It 
has always been understood that the Gospel which bears the 
name of Mark, was written under the inspection of St. Peter ; 



MAS 327 

and as Mark accompanied the Apostle in his labours and 
travels, abundant opportunity was thus afforded. 

A Christian Church was established in Alexandria, by 
the Evangelist Mark, of which he became the first Bishop. 

Martinmas. A festival, formerly kept on the 11th of 
November, in honour of St. Martin, Bishop of Tours, in 
France, who after distinguishing himself by destroying the 
heathen altars and images remaining in his day, died in the 
year 400, having been Bishop about 26 years. 

Martyr. One who has suffered death for the sake of 
Christ and his religion. The holy Apostles, who were sent 
forth by our Blessed Redeemer to preach the Gospel, and 
make disciples in all nations, were many of them called to 
suffer death for his sake. Many also of those who were 
converted to the faith by their labours, were called to give 
the same testimony to the power of the Gospel, The first of 
these in the Christian Church was St. Stephen. His memory 
is celebrated on the day which bears his name. In the Col- 
lect for that day, he is expressly named the " first martyr St. 
Stephen," and we are there taught to pray God, that we may 
" learn to love and bless our persecutors, by following this 
blessed Martyr's example." The Church loves to dwell on 
the memory of those who have yielded up even their lives in 
a faithful attachment to their Redeemer, and who, from the 
midst of the fires, could rejoice in God and trust in his grace. 
In that beautiful hymn, the Te Deum, their memory is cele- 
brated in the words, — " The noble army of martyrs, praise 
thee." And well may they be counted " an army" whether 
we consider their numbers or their valour; and a ^^ nohle 
army," because, as true soldiers of Christ, these have fought 
against sin with their lives in their hands, and in the Apos- 
tolic phrase, " have resisted unto blood." 

Mary, Virgin. See Virgin Mary. 

Mass. In the Romish Church, the ritual or communion 
oflSce. The name is derived from the words " Missa est," 



328 MAT 

i. e., you are dismissed, which expression was used in the an- 
cient Church, as a notice to the catechumens to retire, on the 
commencement of the celebration of the communion. When 
the prayers are merely read without chanting, it is called 
Low Mass ; but when chanted or sung by the priest, with 
the assistance of a deacon or sub-deacon, it is denominated 
a High or Grand Mass. The word occurs in the 31st Article 
of Religion, where the notion that in the Mass there is a true 
propitiatory sacrifice, is condemned as a " blasphemous fable 
and dangerous deceit." 

Matins. The ancient name for early morning prayers, 
which usually began about day-break. 

" The hours of prayer in the ancient Church of England," 
says Palmer, " were seven in number, viz : — Matins, the 1st 
or Prime, the 3d, 6th, and 9th hours, vespers, and compline. 
The office of Matins, or morning prayer, according to the 
Church of England, is a judicious abridgment of her ancient 
services for Matins, Lauds, and Prime." 

Matrimony. That this holy state was of divine institu- 
tion, is not only evident from the Scriptures, but may be in- 
ferred from the fact that, in all nations and ages of the world, 
religious ceremonies have been used at its celebration, which 
can only be accounted for, by ascribing to them a common 
origin, and that of a holy and sacred nature. 

Under the C]ii4stLan dispensation, the solemnizing of mar- 
riage was at first considered as belonging exclusively to the 
ministers of the Church, and few exceptions are found to this 
rule. The aspect which marriage assumes in the New Tes- 
tament, and its important bearing on the spiritual interests of 
the Church, were a sufficient justification of this, and hence, 
the ancient Church of England insisted on the propriety, if 
not the obligation, of a celebration of the rite by persons in 
holy orders. 

At the present day, the laws of England and the United 
States regard marriage as " a civil contract by which a man 



MATRIMONY. 829 

and woman mutually engage to live together as man and 
wife." In few religious acts do the civil laws interpose a 
modifying influence more imperative than in that of mar- 
riage. These are to be respected and regarded; but yet the 
private convictions of the great body of Christians are in fa- 
vour of the sacred nature of the institution, and therefore 
generally provide for its celebration under the form of a reli- 
gious ceremony. In the Episcopal Church, the rubrics to 
the matrimonial service, enjoin a regard to the civil laws per- 
taining to marriage in the various Dioceses ; and these being 
complied with, the form of celebration as a religious rite, is 
set forth by her authority. 

The form prescribed is one of great beauty and impres- 
siveness, remarkable for the unity, regularity, and complete- 
ness of its structure, and not the less, for that tranquil air of 
affection, and deep solemnity, with which it is thoroughly 
pervaded. The union of so many admirable qualities, in a 
form of such brevity and compactness, should interpose a 
check against the slightest mutilation or abridgment of it ; 
especially when it is remembered, that the Clergy are not at 
liberty to comply with a request to that effect, without the 
express sanction of the General Convention. 

The Marriage Service opens with a solemn demand, ad- 
dressed to the witnesses, and then to the parties themselves, 
that if any impediment is known why the marriage should 
not pjoceed, it is there and then to be declared, by those ac- 
quainted with it. After this follows the declaration of mutual 
consent, similar to what was formerly called the Espousals, 
and which was originally a distinct service or form, pre- 
ceding the actual marriage by many weeks or months. It is 
important to observe, that this part of the office is chiefly 
designed to give assurance to the Minister and others, that the 
parties are mutually agreed, — that there is no collusion, arti- 
fice, or fraudulent proceeding in the case ; but it is by no 
means to be confounded with the essential part of the cere- 
28* 



330 MAT 

mony, which follows immediately after. The one is an ex- 
pression of consent to he married, and is therefore worded 
in the future, — " I will " have this woman, or this man, &c. : 
the other is the actual marriage, and is in the present 
tense, — " I M, take thee N. to my wedded Wife," (or 
" Husband,") &c. 

Between these two forms stands a ceremony of very great 
antiquity. The Minister, after asking, " Who giveth this 
Woman to be married to this Man ?" receives the woman 
" at her Father's or Friend's Hands." The antiquity of this 
I'ite is evident from the phrase so often used in Scripture, of 
giving a daughter to wife ; and the universality of it appears 
from its being used both by Heathens and Christians in all 
ages.* 

'After the marriage, a symbol or pledge is given by placing 
a ring on the woman's fourth finger. Of this we shall speak 
under the head of Ring : and for a remark on a word occur- 
ring in this part of the service, See Endow. 

The remainder of the Office consists of prayers for God's 
blessing on the parties now joined together ; — the ratification 
by the joining of hands ; — -the proclamation of the validity of 
the marriage ; and the final blessing, with a supplication for 
divine protection in this life, and eternal happiness in the 
next. See Bans, Plight, and Troth. 

St. Matthew's Day. St. Matthew, the Apostle whom the 
Church on this day commemorates, was called to the disciple - 
ship, last of all the twelve. 

He was by profession a publican, or in our language, a 
custom-house-officer, under the master Publicanus, who 
farmed the revenues from the Roman state. 

" St. Matthew was employed to collect the duties laid on 
the fishing-trade, in the lake of Tiberias : and sitting at the 
receipt of custom, where he might have a clear view of ships 

* Wheatly. 



MATT 331 

and their lading, our Saviour passing by, saw him in the 
execution of his office. And notwithstanding the miracles 
which Jesus wrought in the country about Capernaum might 
probably make some impressions on him ; yet so visible was 
the wonderful efficacy of the Holy Spirit of God in his con- 
version, that our Saviour said nothing more than, Follow me. 
And he arose and followed him accordingly, without the 
least hesitation." 

This Apostle wrote his Gospel about eight years after 
Christ's ascension, just before the Apostles dispersed them- 
selves to carry the Gospel into foreign parts. The province 
assigned to St. Matthew for the exercise of his ministry, was 
Ethiopia, from whence it does not appear that he ever re- 
turned, but probably suffered martyrdom there. 

St. Matthias's Day. This day is kept by the Church in 
commemoration of St. Matthias. It is most probable that 
he was one of the seventy disciples : this is expressly 
affirmed by Eusebius and St. Jerome. After the death of 
Judas, he was chosen by lot into the number of the Apostles. 
His ministrations were given to one of the Ethiopias, where 
he suffered martyrdom. The mode of his death rests chiefly 
on an allusion in a Greek hymn from which it seems probable 
that he was crucified. 

Maundy Thursday. The Thursday before Easter, be- 
ing the day on which our Lord instituted the holy Sacrament 
of his body and blood. The name of Maundy, Maunday, 
or Mandate, (Dies Mandati,) is said to have allusion to the 
mandate or new commandment which, on this day, Christ gave 
to his disciples, that they should love one another, as he had 
loved them. It has also been, supposed by others that the 
name arose from the maunds or baskets of gifts, which, at 
this time, it was an ancient custom for Christians to present 
one to another, in token of that mutual affection which our 
Lord so tenderly urged, at this period of his sufferings, — and 
as a remembrancer of that " inestimable gift " of Christ, to be 



332 MEM 

our spiritual food in the Sacrament of his body and blood. 
Says a writer of the age of Wiclif, " Christ made his maundy y 
and said, Take, eat," &;c. 

" The Gospel for this day is peculiarly proper to the time, 
as it treats of our Saviour's Passion. The Epistle contains 
an account of the institution of the Lord's Supper ; the con- 
stant celebration of which, both in the morning and in the 
evening, after supper, rendered that portion of Scripture very 
suitable to the day." 

Member, Church. One who, by the sacrament of bap- 
tism, has been initiated into the Church. We have no further 
object in here noticing the term, than to remind the reader of 
the impropriety of confounding it with that of " Communis 
cant," the customary designation of one who partakes of the 
Lord's Supper. In some religious societies these are con- 
vertible terms, though in contrariety to their own standards. 
Hence, these who are baptized in infancy are not usually 
known as " members of the Church," till in a public profes- 
sion they are admitted to the Lord's Supper, or, as the phrase 
is, till they have "joined the Church." The popularity of 
such erroneous language is no apology for it, when the merest 
glance at the New Testament may convince any one that 
haptism is the only initiatory rite known in the Christian 
Church ; and consequently, that a baptized person, whether 
an actual communicant or not, is a " member" of the Church 
having " joined " that sacred fellowship already, by the sacra 
ment instituted for that purpose. From this it follows, that 
when inquiry is made relative to the number of " members ' 
in any Church, reference should be had to the list of the bap 
tized, and not to that "of the communicants, if a correct an 
swer is to be given. 

" Memory." In the prayer of Consecration in the Com 
munion service, this word has the sense of " remembrance^ 
or ^^memoriaV "- did institute, and command us to 



MIL 333 

continue a perpetual memory of that his precious death and 
sacrifice," &c. 

Metropolitan. In the ancient Church, the Bishop of the 
metropolis, to whom was conceded certain powers of jurisdic- 
tion over the other Bishops of the province or district around. 
The office was originally one of mere superintendence, but 
by degrees became aggrandized by the appropriation of rights 
•belonging to the episcopate ixi general ; thus, the consecra- 
tion of Bishops both for his own and the neighbouring prov- 
inces — the summoning of provincial synods — the hearing of 
appeals from the other Bishops, &;c., &c., came, at an early 
period, to be among the special prerogatives of a Metro- 
politan. 

In the Church of England the title is still given to the 
Archbishop of Canterbury, together with a portion of the 
above privileges. 

St. Michael and all angels. " This festival is celebrated 
by the Church, in thanksgiving to God for the benefits we 
receive by the ministry of the holy Angels. 

As this St. Michael is recorded in Scripture as an Angel 
of great power and dignity, presiding and watching over the 
Church of God, with a particular vigilance and application, 
and triumphing over the devil, it therefore bears his name." 

The festival of St. Michael and All Angels has been kept 
with great solemnity by the Christian Church since the fifth 
century, and was certainly celebrated in Apuleia as early as 
the year 493. 

Michaelmas. The festival of St. Michael and all 
angels, which See. 

Militant. The Church on earth is styled " militant," be- 
cause it is in a state of warfare with sin, the world, and the 
devil. Hence Christians are known as " soldiers of Christ," 
and are exhorted to " put on the whole armour of God," and 
to " fight manfully " under the banner of the Captain of sal- 
vation. From these foes, and from all the dangers which 



834 MIS 

here harass the servants of Christ, the Church in heaven is 
free, and is therefore denominated the Church triumphant. 

"MiNiSHED." An obsolete word, sometimes occurring in 
the Prayer-book. Thus, in Psalm xii. 1, " the faithful are 
minished from among the children of men," that is, " the 
faithful are hecome very few, or are scarce or diminished in 
number." See also Psklm cvii. 39. 

Minister. One who is lawfully called and ordained to the 
office of a Bishop, Priest, or Deacon, in the Church of God. 
It is a general title, applicable to any of those, whatever may 
be their rank or degree, who have authority to preach, — ad- 
minister the Sacraments, and perform the other services of 
God's house. 

Ministry. In the Scriptures and the Prayer-book, this 
term frequently denotes the clerical office and its appropriate 
functions, as for example, " the ministry of reconciliation ;" 
"make full proof of thy ministry;" "seeing we have this 
ministry, we faint not." Sometimes also it is used for the 
persons invested with the sacred office, and in this sense is 
of the same import as the word " Clergy." In the second 
Collect for Good Friday it is used in its widest signification 
to embrace the duties and employment of all Christians as 
agents in the spiritual service of the Church ; — " that every 
member of the same, in his vocation and ministry, may truly 
and godly serve thee," (fee. 

Missal. In the Romish Church, a book containing the 
services of the Mass, for the various days of the year. In 
the ancient Church, the several parts of divine service were 
arranged in distinct books. Thus the Collects and the in- 
variable portion of the Communion Office, formed the book 
called the " Sacramentary." The lessons from the Old and 
New Testaments constituted the " Lectionary," and the gos- 
pels made another volume with the title of " Evan gelista- 
rium." The " Antiphonary " consisted of anthems, &c., 
designed for chanting. 



MIS 335 

" About the eleventh or twelfth century, it was found con- 
venient generally to unite these three [latter] books, and the 
volume obtained the name of the Complete or Plenary Mis- 
sal, or Book of Missse. Of this description were almost all 
the liturgical books of the western Churches, and the arrange- 
ment is still preserved in our own."* 

Missionary. A Clergyman, whether Bishop, Priest, or 
Deacon, deputed or sent out by the ecclesiastical authority, 
to preach the Gospel, and exercise his other functions, in 
places where the Church has hitherto been unknown, or in 
the infancy of its establishment. At first the term was gene- 
rally restricted to those who were appointed to minister among 
the heathen, or in foreign parts ; but by later usage, it em- 
braces not only these, but such also of the clergy as are 
engaged on the same service, within the bounds of regularly 
organized dioceses. 

Missionary Bishop. See Bishop. 

Mission. An ecclesiastical station or district, in which 
one or more clergymen are placed, to introduce and promul- 
gate the religion of Christ. Iq a secondary sense, the term 
is applied to the body of clergy thus employed at any mis- 
sionary station. 

In the American Church, missions are considered as either 
foreign or domestic ; the former being the designation of 
those without, and the latter of those within, the United 
States. It is evident that these terms, however useful, are 
rather of a civil than an ecclesiastical character, and there- 
fore, are only used by the Church in reference to the local 
position of her missions. Without dilating further on these, 
we shall direct the reader to a real and important distinction, 
which, in the nature of things, must, at the present day, form 
the basis of missionary effort. The field being "the world," 
missions, if established at all, will be directed towards bodies 

* Oricincs Liturgic®. I. p. 309. 



336 MISSIONS. 

of people loho profess Christianity, or toward those who do 
not. Missions to Christian nations are one thing ; missions 
to the heathen, to " Jews, Turks, and Infidels," are quite 
another, inasmuch as, though the object may be the same in 
both cases, yet the mode of proceeding, (on Church princi- 
ples,) should be widely different. To the Apostles, the whole 
field was thrown open, and they entered it w^ith the resolute 
determination of carrying the name of their Master to its 
remotest verge, and to overthrow, if possible, every refuge of 
heathenism in the wide world. To them, the entire ground 
was free, and made over to their jurisdiction by Him, whose 
is " the earth and the fulness thereof" With the exception of 
the Jews, all men were given up to idolatry ; polytheism 
had reared its myriad temples ; its altars decked the groves, 
and the ripest intellects were enslaved by the reigning 
superstitions. Here was fair and ample ground for the 
missionary operations of the first heralds of the Gospel. 
And similar in kind are the duties of the Church Catholic of 
the present age, in relation to those sections of the field not 
yet reclaimed from idolatry. The heathen are a portion of 
Christ's inheritance, and their conversion to him is not to 
be accomplished by the intervention of miracle, (as long ex- 
perience has proved,) but mainly through the instrumentality 
of the Church, into which they will be gathered. That 
Church, it is reasonable to suppose, will, in its various and 
widely-scattered branches, regard with faithfulness propor- 
tioned to its light, the obligations resting upon it to evangelize 
and purge the dark places of the earth. Every such branch 
of the Church is under bonds to effect this object in the ter- 
ritory contiguous to it ; and as the Church, by the Providence 
of God, has long ago had its standard reared in almost every 
nation of the globe, there is room for strong hope, that ere 
long a mighty and united efibrt will be made by every por- 
tion of that divine society, to redeem from infidelity and 
heathenism, the "souls benighted" in their respective vicin- 



BiissiON. 337 

ities. This would seem to be the nataral and primitive 
mode of proceeding", and it sets in a strong light the oblio*a- 
tions of the American Church to the native tribes treadins- 
her own soil, and that of her adjacent territories. Her posi- 
tion gives to these an imperative and righteous claim on her 
sympathies and services. Many of them are within her own 
Dioceses ; and on sound catholic principles, it is as much her 
duty to occupy the ground, as it would be an intrusion on her 
rights for any other branch of ihe Church to interfere. 

In the conducting of missions in countries where the 
Church is already established, and where the laborers sent 
forth must necessarily take their position under an existing 
ecclesiastical jurisdiction, there are difficulties of a peculiar 
and delicate nature always to be encountered. The first 
point to be ascertained is, whether we are in communion with 
that Church in which we purpose to establish a mission. If 
so, we declare ipso facto that such a Church is not under the 
ban of heresy or schism ; and therefore, none but friendly and 
courteous relations are to be maintained with it. A full, 
frank, and undisguised statement of our purposes is then due 
to the ecclesiastical authorities of that Church : and on their 
approval of those purposes, and their official consent to our 
carrying them into effect, the mission may proceed, without 
involvinof a breach of those ancient canons to which we have 
always professed to pay respect. 

But if we are not in communion wnth that Church, a wider 
latitude may be granted. In the primitive Church, when a 
Diocese was infected with heresy, it was allowed that orthodox 
Bishops from the Dioceses around, might enter and perform 
their episcopal functions, without regarding the ordinary 
restrictions of the canons. This was a necessary precaution 
for the preservation of the faith, and the rule holds good in 
our own day. A foreign Church may possess the Apostolic 
ministry ; but if it has sunk into heresy, then there would 
seem to be no canonical obstacle in the way of our establish- 

29 



338 MOT 

ment of a missioQ within its bounds. But the proof of such 
heresy should be ample and decisive, warranted by the 
original standards of such a Church, and by the concur- 
rent testimonies of our own and other ecclesiastical bodies. 
Till this is positively ascertained, a breach of order must be 
the consequence of our invasion of a foreign diocese, without 
special permission from the Bishops holding jurisdiction in 
it. That the American Church is alive to the importance of 
these fundamental principles of missions, every Episcopalian 
will rejoice to find, by recurring to the investigations and 
reports of the last two General Conventions. 

MiTBE, A kind of cap or head-dress originally worn by 
the Jewish Priests. In the Christian Church, the mitre was 
formerly used by the Bishops, on solemn occasions, and is still 
worn in the Romish and some other ancient Churches. 

The peculiar cloven figure of the upper portion of the 
Episcopal mitre, has been supposed to be emblematical of the 
form of the fiery tongues which descended on the Apostles on 
the day of Pentecost. 

Mother Church. The great "Ecclesia Matrix," or 
Mother Church, was that of Jerusalem, where the Gospel 
was first preached, and from which all other Churches were 
derived. This title indeed was given to it by the 2d General 
Council of Constantinople. But this distinction was also 
granted to such other principal Churches as were planted 
immediately by the Apostles, and from which the neighboring 
Churches were afterwards derived. The term was further 
applied in early times to the chief Church of a province, 
where the Metropolitan presided, and afterwards to a Cathedral 
or Bishop's Church in a diocese, as distinguished from the 
parish churches around. 

The term as now used, is strictly primitive, denoting the 
relation existing between any branch of the Church Catholic, 
and those which have sprung from it. Hence the Church of 
England is properly tfie "Mother" of that in the United 



MOV 339 

States, the latter having derived its Episcopacy and Liturgy, 
&c., from it. 

Moveable feasts. Those holy-days of the Church, 
which instead of being fixed to certain days of the year, de- 
pend on the festival of Easter ; and being calculated from it, 
are subject to its mutations. 

" Moved by the Holy Ghost." See the first question 
addressed to Deacons at their Ordination : — " Do you trust 
that you are inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost to take upon 
you this Office and Ministration," &c. Reply : — " I trust 
so." Solemn and important as this inquiry is, it will not 
justify the conclusion, that the Church here expects in the 
candidate a direct, special, and evident " call " to the work 
of the Ministry, similar in kind to that which existed in the 
case of St. Paul ; for if this were so, — if there were this 
" special revelation to the mind of the candidate," the Church 
and its Bishop would be bound to submit to it, and every 
such person could demand ordination, however apparent his 
disqualifications. Besides, as no sensible proof of the call 
could be given, the Bishop would be compelled to rely on the 
mere word of the candidate, and thus be exposed to every kind 
of deception from those, who ignorantly mistake the working 
of their own imaginations, for the impulses of the Spirit of 
God. 

In the question proposed, the Church recognizes the truth, 
that all holy dispositions, — every good thought and religious 
purpose, — comes from the influence of God's Spirit on the 
mind. " The fruits of the Spirit are in all goodness, and 
righteousness, and truth." This is the burden of Scripture, and 
it is interwoven with every part of the services of the Church. 
" If then, agreeably to the expressions which follow in the 
question of serving God for the promoting of his glory, and 
the edifying of his people, a man be desirous of taking on 
him the Ministerial office, under a sufficient knowledge of 
the purposes for which it was instituted, accompanied by a 



340 Mus 

due regard for them ; and if he be desirous of devoting his 
time, his talents, and his labours, to so holy and benevolent a 
use ; surely it is not less to be ascribed to the Holy Spirit, 
than any good work which he may perform."* 

MS. An abbreviation for "manuscript." The plural is 
written MSS. 

Music. Music, whether considered as a science or an art, 
has always had an important connection with the liturgical 
services of the Church, and, in all religious bodies, forms a 
considerable part of public worship. 

The great and only object of adoration is God. The rho- 
tive of our praise lies in his goodness to us, as our benevo- 
lent Creator, Preserver, and Friend, — more especially in his 
unbounded love, as exhibited in our redemption, and in our 
prospects of immortal blessedness, through the sufferings and 
death of Jesus Christ. 

It is a beautiful thought, that while God requires our praise, 
he does not overlook our own gratification. He has laid its 
chief exercise in the most delightful and rapturous of all 
sciences. There was evidently nothing to bind the Al- 
mighty to this selection. He might have chosen other modes 
of thanksgiving, in preference to this ; but, from the earliest 
ages, he has appropriated and hallowed music, as the accept- 
able channel of praise. And as the pleasure derived from 
this is to bo referred to a certain degree of perfection in the 
ear, he has, in like manner, made this so far universal, tliat 
even the rudest barbarians gather delight from its possession. 
Thus is it kindly ordained, that in the utterance of God's 
praise, we shall have a still further enjoyment in the loveli- 
ness of the outward exercise. 

The character of the music employed in the worship of 
God, may be estimated from the dignified nature of the duty. 
It should, therefore, be as excellent and superior as circum- 

* Bishop White, on the Ordination offices, p. 14. 



MUSIC. 341 

stances will admit. This follows from the obvious rule, that 
all our offerings to God should be in the best of their kind. 
Reason alone will sanction the rule ; and wherever revela- 
tion touches upon this point, it lends its sanction and corrob- 
oration. The sacrifices under the Jewish law were of ani- 
mals without spot or blemish. The gifts were to be of the 
first fruits. The temple was of the most costly grandeur. 
Every thing devoted to God was to be free from imperfec- 
tion ; and we have no intimation that the essence of the 
principle has ever suffered a change. It is not to be ima- 
gined that the thought will be entertained, that the Almighty 
can be too worthily served. The Christians of former ages 
erected magnificent and highly decorated edifices for His 
worship, and spared neither taste, science, nor expense in 
their adornment ; for it is a notion of modern times alone, 
that every thing connected with the service of God should 
be of the plainest and simplest grade. The same rule then, 
will apply to the praises of the sanctuary. But alas ! when 
we turn to the fact, instead of the swelling anthem, and the 
pealing chorus, the thanksgivings of our churches are too 
often given in strains whose meagerness would make an an- 
gel weep. Time was, when the most gorgeous and sublime 
music in the world was employed in exalting the Redeemer's 
name. The impassioned language of the Te Deum, and the 
heavenly enthusiasm of the Psalter, received a new and im- 
pressive grandeur from the dress in which they were ar- 
rayed. But now, the world has stolen from the Church her 
rightful property, and we can no longer look to the sanctuary 
for the highest models of musical science. The very name 
of Church music has become a by-word, and a synonyme for 
dulness and monotony. Who will not say that God's ser- 
vice should tell of better things, and that we are not bound to 
magnify his fame in nobler songs ? 

But the music of the Church should also be practicable. 
Our Maker never expects that which we are incapable of 
29* 



842 MUSIC. 

rendering ; but he does demand the exercise of our actual 
ability. It is not required that every private Christian shall 
prove himself a deeply read theologian ; neither does God, in 
every case, look for displays of refined musical taste. But 
all men have powers which they suffer to remain latent. 
These must be brought into action. The man who hid his 
Lord's talent in the earth, was justly condemned for his neg- 
ligence. However little was that committed to him, it was 
his duty to turn it to account, and to study its improvement 
for his Master's glory. Now, while the songs and praises of 
the Church should be adapted to the various capacities of 
those who are to offer them, this will not rob them of their ' 
excellence ; for many of the most sublime anthems are of re- 
markable simplicity, while, on the other hand, difficulties 
abound in compositions of inferior value. He whose heart 
is touched with the love of Christ, will not shrink from labour 
and exertion, that he may the better extol his Saviour's 
name, but will rather endeavour to perfect himself in the 
outward expression of that love and gratitude which reigns 
in his heart. Practice is necessary to qualify for this exer- 
cise, and we would not suppose that any intelligent Christian 
will neglect it. He may, at the first, over-estimate the diffi- 
culty of joining audibly in the praises of the Church, and 
may also underrate his own powers ; yet patience and atten- 
tion will soon overcome all ordinary obstacles, and enable 
him to mingle his triumphs with" the congregation around 
him. The plea that the music heard in our Churches is too 
elaborate and scientific for the use of ordinary worshippers, 
is not so valid as is commonly supposed. The great mis- 
take lies in the people not knowing what they really can ac- 
complish, if they make the trial. They are too diffident of 
their own abilities. To join in the work of praise, it is not 
required that every one shall be equally gifted or trained, 
with those who compose our choirs. It is only binding on 
us to do the best we can, — to lift up our voices according to 



Mus 343 

the ability which God has given, and then the duty and the 
obhgation are acceptably met. We are aware of nothing 
that can justify absolute silence amidst the praises of God's 
temple, but the fact of physical inability. If the Creator has 
denied to any one that ordinary perfection of voice and ear, 
by which almost the whole race of men are able to utter and 
distinguish sounds, then, but not till then, may a justifiable 
excuse be rendered. But before advancing such a plea, let 
a fair and repeated trial be made, that there be not ascribed 
to defective organization, that which should rather be charged 
to defective gratitude, and positive negligence. Few persons 
are absolutely unable to sing. The same man who denies 
God his due in the Church, can enliven his laboring hours 
with songs of vastly more difficult execution. The parlor 
and the drawing-room can ring with melody, and yet the 
simple strains of the psalm, will be pronounced unattainable. 
The plea of impracticability is therefore groundless in the 
majority of cases, and needs no other answer than the effort 
of a willing mind, — an answer which we would to God that 
it might universally receive. 

Musical Instruments. Though these are not essential 
to the due performance of divine worship, yet, their value as 
secondary aids to devotional feeling, will not be questioned 
by those familiar with a liturgical service. Their use, in 
this light, stands on high authority. They are linked with 
all the praises of the Old Testament, and the instrumental 
force of the Temple, was scarcely surpassed by the strength 
of the vocal choirs. It would appear too, from the sacred 
writings, not only that such instruments were approved by 
Almighty God, but that very little difference (if any) was 
made respecting their eligibility and fitness for use in divine 
worship. When the shout and the anthem of praise were to 
be given, it mattered little what were the qualities and powers 
of the instruments at hand, — all were claimed for God, and 
all were sure to be pleasing to him. But after all, this is one 



344 MYS 

of those subjects on which men have sometimes been infi- 
nitely more precise and fastidious than their Maker. Be- 
tween them and the " man after God's own heart," it would 
be instructing to draw a contrast, and trace the wide diver- 
sity of their opinions. David was not afraid to praise God 
by instrument as well as by voice. What is it that throws 
such an air of transport over the latter portion of the book 
of Psalms ? And what is it that thrills even the soul of the 
objector on reading it ? Is it not the sublime scene presented, 
of a world called to unite in an acclamation of praise, and 
to bring harp, trumpet, and cornet, to make a joyful noise 
unto the Lord the King ? It is a feeble evasion to say that 
though all this was well enough under the Jewish dispensa- 
tion, yet it has long since passed away. The truth is, that 
God was worthily praised in this manner before the Jewish 
Church or State were organized or heard of ; and if a better 
argument were wanted, we would point to the New Jeru- 
salem, and show what is to be the live-long worship of eter- 
nity. Objection therefore is vain. And we contend that 
God has both shown his approbation of instruments in gene- 
ra], and left us the fair inference, that all are equally proper 
(so far as the principle is concerned) to be used in his ser- 
vice. All the difference must arise from the results of asso- 
ciation, and conventional feeling and usage. Apart from 
this, and considered as a question of religious principle, we 
would scarcely believe that any one could cheat heaven of its 
praises, and give up his intellect to the profound inquiry, 
whether God were best pleased with a string or a pipe ! 

Mystery. Something secret, hidden from human com- 
prehension, or revealed but in part. The term is applied 
both to doctrines and facts, as the mystery of the sacred 
Trinity, and that of the calling of the Gentiles, &c. By the 
usage of the Church, it also denotes that inscrutable union, 
in the sacraments, of the inward and spiritual grace, with 
the outward and visible sign. Hence, in the early Church, 



MYs 345 

the sacraments were denominated "mysteries," and the term 
derived a still greater force, from the secrecy which was 
observed in the administration of those ordinances. More 
especially, however, was the holy Communion thus desig- 
nated, as we learn from the ancient Fathers, who speak re- 
peatedly of the "sacred" and "tremendous mysteries," in 
allusion to this sacrament. With this application, the term 
appears in our own Communion Office, where Christ is said 
to have "instituted and ordained holy Mysteries, as pledges of 
his love, and for a continual remembrance of his death." We 
are also exhorted so to prepare ourselves, that we may be 
"meet partakers of those holy Mysteries:" and after their 
reception, thanks are rendered to God, that he has vouchsafed 
"to feed us who have duly received these holy Mysteries, 
with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood 
of [his] Son our Saviour Jesus Christ." 

Mystical. Having a hidden, allegorical, or secret mean- 
ing. In the Baptismal offices we read, "sanctify this water 
to the mystical washing away of sin ; " from which it would 
be absurd to infer that the mere physical application of water 
can remove sin; and yet, on the other hand, the fact that the 
remission of sin is associated with baptism, rests on Scriptural 
authority. There is therefore, a secret operation of God's 
grace in cleansing the soul, linked to the sacramental applica- 
tion of water to the body ; and the concurrence or co-existence 
of these the Church regards as a " mystical washing away 
of sin." 

Again ; In. the Communion Office, the faithful recipients 
are said to be " very [true] members incorporate of the mys- 
tical body of Christ." Now how the Church can constitute 
"the body of Christ," will appear to any one an inscrutable 
mystery, if he will but divest himself of the familiarity of the 
terms. As to the fact, it is indisputable ; but the manner is 
beyond our full comprehension, partaking in some measure of 
the nature of allegory, and strictly mystical. It is worth 



346 NAv 

while to add, that, the Church does not recognize the notion 
of z.n Anvisihle Church, as constituting this "mystical body," 
composed of those only who shall be finally saved ; for she 
goes on to pray for the assistance of God's grace " that we 
may continue in that holy fellowship," &,c., a petition some- 
what irrelevant if such an hypothesis be adopted. 



Name of Jesus. See Bowing at the name of Jesus, 

Nativity of Christ. See Christmas. 

"Naughty." Used in the Prayer-book in its original 
sense oi wicked or corrupt, e. g., " this miserable and naughty 
world."* " The congregation of naughty men."f See also 
the Exhortation in the Ordering of Priests. Old writers use 
the word in the same strong sense. Bishop Jewell remarks, 
that in separating from communion with the Romish Church, 
we have " put ourselves apart * * * from the infection 
of naughty persons and hypocrites, "f Latimer has this use 
of the word : " When the end is naught, [naughty, or evil,] 
all is naught." And again, " We ought to be punished when 
we do naught." " The will of God is, only to receive them 
who come to him in the name of his Son our Saviour, who 
lament their own sins, and confess their own naughtiness and 
wickedness. "§ 

Nave. In Cathedrals and other ancient Churches the 
ground plan is that of a cross. The portion of the building 
occupying the upper or head division of this, is usually called 
the choir, the central wings the transepts, and the longer part 



* Visitation of the Sick. t Psalm Ixxxvi. 14. 

t Apology, 112. § Sermon, On the Birth of Christ. 



NEC 347 

or main body of the edifice, the nave. In modern Churches 
the term nave sometimes designates the middle portion of 
the interior, bounded by the galleries, and extending through 
the entire length of the building. 

Necessity. We introduce this term for the purpose of 
noticing what is called the " plea of necessity," as urged by 
those who have attempted the vindication of ministerial or- 
ders 710^ derived from the Apostles through the succession of 
Bishops. At the rise of several of the more respectable 
communities of non-episcopalians, this plea was brought for- 
ward as the ground on which they proceeded in raising up a 
ministry based on presbyterian or lay ordination. See Epis- 
copacy. It was contended that Bishops were not to be had ; 
that in the existing state of things no time was to be lost ; 
and that, therefore, the course adopted was not only prudent 
but justifiable. By their own confession, then, this was an 
act of irregularity, differing essentially from the established 
course of things in the Church. For what is a work done 
in necessity, as here understood, but an act performed under 
the impulsive force of circumstances, contrary to fixed laws 
and usages, and in direct opposition to the actor's own under- 
standing of what is right ? 

But it is questionable whether such a thing as this absolute 
necessity ever has existed, or ever can exist in the Church. 
On the continent, it is more than probable that by proper 
effort and by a slight exercise of patience, episcopal ordina- 
tion might have been obtained. At all events, necessity 
could never put into the hands of presbyters the power to 
ordain. The transmission of the ministry was not commit, 
ted to them, and consequently they could not impart it to 
others. Let us suppose, that by some dread event, all the 
Bishops of the American Episcopal Church, were with one 
stroke removed. What would be the result ? Undoubtedly, 
an application to the Church of England, or to some other 
branch of the Apostolic Church, for a supply of duly ordained 



348 NiN 

or consecrated ministers. One or two wavering voices, 
might perchance be heard, calling for the adoption of some 
expedient to save appearances at the cost of Apostolic order ; 
but far otherwise would be the acclamation of the great 
body of the Church. Here would be an opportunity for the 
advancing of the plea of necessity ; but who does not see its 
fallacy ? If the power of ordination was lodged only in the 
successors of the Apostles, with them it must remain, and, 
independently of them, it is impossible to obtain it, except by 
the direct gift of God testified by miracle. The plea of ne- 
cessity by the continental reformers and their followers, in- 
volved therefore a double petitio principii ; 1. that presbyters 
had the power or ability to ordain ; and 2. that they had the 
right. Both these we deny, because we read not in Scrip- 
ture or history that they ever possessed them. Necessity 
may, in some things, have no law ; but in ordinations the mat- 
ter is worse, for it has no power. If the whole world were 
deprived of its Bishops, no body of men whatever could forge 
the first link of a new chain of them, — ordination would be 
impossible ; and as divine Providence would have thus ex- 
tinguished the Apostolical commission, no mortal man (even in 
such dire necessity) would be justifiable in aiming at the 
creation of a new ministry. How slight then was the ground 
on which the above reformers proceeded, in the formation of 
a ministry hitherto unheard of in the wide world ! 

Nemine contradicente, or Nem. Con. "No one op- 
posing." 

Nemine dissentiente, or Nem. Diss. " No one dissent- 
ing." The above terms are frequently found in Journals of 
Convention, and other documents containing business pro- 
ceedings. 

NicENE Creed. See Creed, Nicene. 

Nineteenth day of the month. In the Morning Service 
of the Church, it is directed that on the nineteenth day of any 
month, the " Venite Exultemus," (or Psalm beginning, " O 



NOR 849 

come, let us sing unto the Lord," &c.,) shall not be said or 
sung. The reason is, that it occurs on that day in the regu- 
lar portion of Psalms, and would thus occasion an unneces- 
sary repetition. 

NocTURNS. Services anciently held during the night. In 
the Romish Breviary, the Psalter is divided into portions con. 
sisting of nine Psalms, each of which portions is called a 
nocturn. These were designed to be read at these nightly 
assemblies, with other services appointed in order for the 
various nights. 

Nocturnal services « were derived from the earliest periods 
of Christianity. We learn from Pliny, as well as from Jus- 
tin Martyr, Xertullian, and various writers of the first three 
centuries, that the Christians in those times of persecution, 
held their assemblies in the night, in order to avoid detection. 
On these occasions they celebrated the memory of Christ's 
death in the holy mysteries. When persecutions had inter- 
mitted and finally ceased, although the Christians were able 
to celebrate all their rites, and did administer the sacrament 
in the day-time, yet a custom which had commenced from 
necessity, was retained from devotion and choice ; and noc- 
turnal assembhes for the worship of God in psalmody and 
reading still continued."* 

NoN-RESiDENCE. In England, the fact of Clergymen be- 
ing habitually absent from, or not resident in, their parishes 
or benefices ; a practice grown very frequent, and occupying 
several months in the year, notwithstanding the liability of 
incurring the penalties of a statute of Henry VIII. against it. 
During this non-residence of the Rector, the burden of parish 
duty is discharged by the Curate, &c. 

" North side." In the administration of the Holy Com- 
munion, the Minister is required, by the rubric, to stand " at 
the north side of the table, or where Morning and Evening 



* Origines Liturgicae, I. p. 202, 
30 



350 NOT 

Prayer are appointed to be said," In ancient times it v/as a 
general custom to place the head or upper end of Churches 
towards the east, and near that end of the building the altar was 
placed. This custom prevailed in England at the time when 
our Prayer-book was framed. Now as it frequently hap- 
pened that if the Priest stood immediately in front of the 
altar, (looking West,) there was some interposing obstacle 
which prevented him from being seen and heard by the peo- 
ple, it was ordered that he should stand at one end of the 
altar ; and choice was made of that on the Priest's right hand, 
(as he looked towards the people,) which was of course the 
" North side " as prescribed in the rubric. 

In the American Churches the east and west position is not 
retained ; but the rubric is complied with by the priest standi 
ing at that end of the altar which would he the north, if the 
altar itself stood towards the east, i. e., on the people's left, 
and the minister's right. 

"Notable crime." In the Ordering of Deacons and 
Priests, any offence of a sufficiently serious character to 
justify a suspension of the ordination of a candidate. The 
Bishop, at the beginning of the Ordination Office, requires, 
that if any of the people know " any impediment, or notable 
crime,^^ in the person about to be ordered, " for the which he 
ought not to be admitted to " the Order of Deacon or Priest, 
the accuser shall come forth, and declare " what the crime or 
impediment is." 

By " notable " is to be understood something of a highly 
flagrant and scandalous nature, known to the accuser as a 
sufficient reason (if proved) for the rejection of the candi- 
date. Hence, in the rubric following the Bishop's demand, 
the words " notable crime " are made synonymous with " great 
crime," — with such a crime as will justify the Bishop in pro- 
ceeding no further till it is disproved. 

Similar remarks will apply to the use of the word " noto. 
rious,''^ in the rubric before the Holy Communion, 



occ 351 

NuMERi. The Latin title of the book of Numbers, oc- 
curring in the list of Scripture books in the 6th Article of 
Religion. 

Nunc dimittis. In the English Prayer-book, the first 
words, in Latin, of the Song of Simeon, (" Lord, now lettest 
thou thy servant depart in peace," &c., Luke, ii. 29,) ap- 
pointed as one of the hymns to be used after the second 
Lesson in Evening Prayer. In the American Prayer-book 
a portion of the 103d Psalm is used in its stead, being 
judged more appropriate to the general purposes of public 
worship. 



O. 



Oblation. In the consecration of the Eucharist, a so- 
lemn act by which an offering is made of the elements to 
God. This portion of the Communion Office does not appear 
in the present English Prayer-book, but was in that of Ed- 
ward VI., from which it has been adopted, and incorporated 
into our Liturgy, by an act of the General Convention. See 
Communion, Holy. 

Oblations. Gifts, and offerings. Any thing which we 
offer to God as an act of worship, or in testimony of our 
homage to him. In the ancient Church, the people were 
accustomed at the Communion, not only to present money at 
the altar, by way of alms ; but also bread, wine, the fruits of 
the earth, and other things, as offerings or " oblations " to 
God, for the use of such as were in adversity and need. In 
allusion to this, we pray, at the Communion, that God would 
mercifully accept " our alms and oblations," — which are here 
presented to him by the Priest, at the altar. 

Occasional Prayers and Thanksgivings. Those which 



352 ♦ OFF 

are proper only on particular occasions, and not to be regu- 
larly used in the services of the Church. A variety of these 
may be seen in the Prayer-book, immediately after the Lit- 
any, as for example, " A Prayer for Congress, to be used 
during their Session." A Prayer " for a Sick Person." A 
Thanksgiving " for a safe Return from Sea," &c. &c. 

Octave. The " Octave " is the eighth day after any prin- 
cipal festival of the Church. In ancient times it was custom- 
ary to observe these days with much devotion, including the 
whole period also, from the Festival to the Octave. " It was 
thought that the subject and occasion of these high Festivals 
called for their being lengthened out in this manner ; and the 
period of eight days was chosen, because the Jews celebrated 
their greater feasts, some for .seven days, and the Feast of 
Tabernacles for eight days. Such Jewish institutions being 
only types and shadows, the Christians thought it fit, not to 
have their Commemorations of shorter duration." 

In our Prayer-book we retain the observance of the Oc- 
taves of Christmas, Easter, Ascension and Whitsunday, by 
using, for seven days after each of those festivals, an appro- 
priate " Preface," in the Communion service, if that sacra- 
ment is administered on any of those days. The Preface 
for Whitsunday, is, however, only to be used for six days 
after, because the seventh (or Octave of Whitsunday) would 
be Trinity Sunday, which has a Preface of its own. 

Offertory. The verses of Scripture near the beginning 
of the Communion service, which are appointed to be read 
while the wardens or other fit persons are collecting the 
alms and offerings of the people. These verses are intended 
to remind the congregation of the duty of giving in charity 
to the poor, and of the love which God bears to those who, 
of their abundance, are willing liberally to contribute to the 
relief of "such as are in need." 

Office. This term, besides its ordinary sense, denoting 
a certain station, charge, or trust, committed to a person by 



OLD 353 

a competent authority, is also used as a designation of an 
ecclesiastical or devotional form ; thus the form set forth for 
the Institution of Ministers is called an "Office." Bishop 
Sparrow remarks, that " the Common Prayer Book contains 
in it many holy Q^ce^of the Church ; as Prayers, Confession 
of Faith, Holy Hymns, Divine Lessons, Priestly Absolutions 
and Benedictions." See also the first prayer in the form for 
the consecration of a Church. 

Officers, Ecclesiastical. The Church is a Society^ and, 
like all other societies, has its proper officers. These are 
the Ministers of the Church, — the Bishops, Priests, and 
Deacons. But as the Church is a society founded by Christ 
himself, so must its officers derive their authority from him. 
Therefore, at the beginning, he gave this authority to the 
eleven Apostles, and afterwards to St. Paul. But as these 
would soon be taken away by death, he also gave them power 
to ordain others to fill their places as Apostles or Bishops ; 
and by these latter, another race of Bishops was appointed, 
(succeeding to them,) and thus, by continued chains of 
Bishops one following another, the legitimate authority 
which Christ gave to the first Apostles, has come down to 
those who. now govern the Church. From this it follows, 
that the officers of the Church act by divine, and not by 
human authority. 

Under the title of Church officers, but in an inferior sense, 
may also be included. Church-wardens, and Vestry-men, 
&c., who are appointed by the congregations to take charge 
of the temporal affairs of the Church. 

"Old Adam." See the first of the short Collects in the 
Offices of Baptism, immediately after the Questions. " O 
merciful God, grant that the Old Adam in this Child may b^ 
so buried, that the new man may be raised up in him,"^ — i e. 
that the corrupt and evil inclinations inherited in conse- 
quence of the transgression of our first parent, may be mor. 
tified and subdued, a new and holier train of dispositions, 
30* 



354 opu 

called in Scripture the putting on of Christ, or of the new 
man, being here solemnly assumed. 

" Old Fathers." An expression used in the 7th Article, for 
the ancient prophets, patriarchs, and Old Testament saints : 
" — they are not to be heard, which feign, that the Old 
Fathers did look only for transitory promises." See Tran- 
sitory Promises. 

"Only." In the Gloria in excels! s, we read, " — thou 
only art holy ; thou only art the Lord," &c. The verses 
immediately preceding this, contain a fervent and repeated 
appeal to the divine mercy, on the ground of our own sin- 
fulness. From this we turn to an acknowledgment that holi- 
ness belongeth alone to God, — " thou only art holy," while 
we are defiled with sin ; — " thou only, O Christ," (excluding 
all inferior beings,) " with the Holy Ghost, art most high in 
the Glory of God the Father." 

Opus Operatum. An expression frequently occurring in 
discussions respecting the efficacy of the sacraments, &c., 
importing a necessary spiritual effect fiowing-from the out- 
ward administration, (from the thing done) irrespective of the 
moral qualities of the recipient. This doctrine is alleged as 
one of the corruptions of the Church of Rome ; and, if car- 
ried out, would obviously equalize, in a great measure, the 
benefits received by the worthy and the unworthy who ap- 
proach the altar, and would justify the administration of bap- 
tism to the heathen, &c., not only on consent, but by the 
application of physical force. 

In a certain sense, it is unquestionably true that all the 
appointed means of grace have an effect ex opere operato, in- 
asmuch as the act itself, though inefficacious in its own na- 
ture, is an institution of God, and consecrated by him as an 
instrumentality not to be made void at the caprice of man. 
Thus, the preaching of the gospel is inevitably a savor of 
life or of death. The administration of baptism is inva- 
riably an admission into the Church, even in the case of a 



ORD 355 

Simon Magus. But that the use of an appointed ordinance 
goes beyond this, and results in all cases in a moral effect on 
the individual, and in the ensuring of higher portions of 
divine grace ex necessitate, is contrary to the views of the 
Church, — the doctrine of Scripture, and the preservation of 
man's free agency. 

Oration. A prayer. Thus the Lord's Prayer vi^as an- 
ciently called the " Daily Oration." 

Oratory. A place of prayer, or a house designed for 
public worship, but in which the sacraments are not usually 
administered. In the writings of the primitive Fathers, 
churches in general are not unfrequently called oratories, or 
houses of prayer. By later usage, and at the present day, 
the term is applied to small chapels, frequently private pro- 
perty, erected for the convenience of families, institutions of 
learning, &c. 

In the Romish Church the term has a further application 
to small ante-chambers or retiring places, furnished with 
books, &;c., for private devotion. 

Ordain. To admit to the sacred offices of the Ministry, 
by investing the candidate with the required authority. See 
Ordination. 

Order. A form or service appointed by the Church, for 
any specified object. Thus the Morning and ^Evening Ser- 
vice in the Prayer-book, is called " The Order for Daily 
Morning (or Evening) Prayer." So also, " The Order for 
the Administration of the Lord's Supper," &c. &;c. 

The word is also used in reference to the degrees of rank 
in the Christian Ministry, as when we speak of " the Order 
of Deacons," " the Order of Priests," &c. 

In its more common sense, it refers to those instructions 
and directions which it is the Minister's place to give, in rela- 
tion to the proper performance of divine worship, &c., as 
when it is declared to " be the duty of every Minister * * * * 



356 ORD 

to give order concerning the tunes to be sung at any time in 
his Church." 

Ordering. The ordaining, or conferring of ministerial 
authority upon Priests or Deacons. (The word " consecra- 
tion " being more usually applied to the ordaining of a 
Bishop.) 

The forms used on such occasions are called, " The Or- 
dering of Deacons," and "the Ordering of Pi'iests." The 
word takes its meaning from the original verb " to order " or 
" to ordain," — of the use of which the following examples may 
be given : — " The Bishop, commending such as shall be found 
meet to be Ordered, to the prayers," &c. " The Bishop 
shall cease from Ordering that person," &c. " Whosoever 
are consecrated or ordered according to said form, we decree 
all such to be rightly, orderly, and lawfully consecrated and 
ordered.^'' 

Orders, Holy. The official authority and commission 
which are given in the act of ordination, to the Ministers of 
Christ. Thus when any one has been invested with the 
ministerial office, he is said to have " received Orders," or 
to have been "admitted to holy Orders." Candidates or stu- 
dents for the ministry, are, for the same reason, denominated 
"Candidates for Orders." A Bishop also, is said to " confer 
Orders," when he ordains. The question whether a person 
is " in Orders," is therefore equivalent to the inquiry, 
whether he has been lawfully ordained as a Minister in the 
Church of Christ. The Canons of the Church prohibit the 
ordaining of Deacons under the age of 21 years, of Priests: 
under 24, and require that a Bishop shall be at least 30 
years old at the time of consecration. 

Ordinal. Properly, "a ritual, or book containing orders." 
But, by usage, that division of the Prayer-book which consists of 
the Forms for the ordination of Priests and Deacon-, and the 
Consecration of Bishops. The Ordinal is thus the appointed 



ORD 357 

form for ordination. The Bishop also, who alone adminis- 
ters it, is termed (in his own Diocese) the Ordinary. 

Ordinary. One who exercises the ordinar}'^ or imme- 
diate jurisdiction in ecclesiastical affairs. Thus, the Bishop 
is the ordinary within the bounds of his own diocese, having 
its spiritual jurisdiction. In a wider .sense the term is applied, 
though not in the American Church, to Clergymen of the 
inferior grades, having a limited jurisdiction committed to 
them. In the 138th Canon of the Church of England, we 
read, "That no Bishop or Archdeacon, or their Vicars, or 
Officials, or other inferior Ordinaries, shall depute, or have 
more Apparitors to serve," &c. The Ordinary in Newgate 
is the Clergyman who attends in ordinary upon condemned 
malefactors, and administers to them the offices of religion. 

Ordination. The act of conferring holy orders, or the 
right and authority to execute the offices of the Christian 
ministry. Ordination is not to be confounded with the desig- 
nating or setting ajpart of a person to the work of the 
ministry ; for in strictness, any one may do this for himself, 
or it may be done for him by his parents, guardians, &c., and 
involves nothing but what any layman may perform ; whereas 
ordination is the actual communication of authority from a 
legititnate source, to execute those functions which appertain 
to the several orders of the ministry. Neither is ordination 
to be viewed as the appointing of a person to the spiritual 
charge of a particular congregation ; on the contrary, every 
ordained Clergyman is to be held as a Minister of the Church 
Catholic, and his location in any particular sphere of labor, is 
a mere accident, not affecting the validity, or the extent of his 
spiritual powers. 

The authority conveyed in ordination, is either of human 
or divine origin. If human, then is it a matter of slight con- 
sequence, and there is nothing to hinder any layman from 
imparting it, but the Canons, customs, and usages of the 
Church. On such an hypothesis, the Church might begin a 



358 ORDINATION. 

Ministry de novo, every year or month ; and, for any obliga- 
tion to the contrary, we might be Episcopal in the summer, 
Presbyterian in the fall, and spend the winter in Congre- 
gationalism. But this is not the view of the Church ; cer- 
tainly not the doctrine of Scripture. In God's Church none 
can minister but whom God sends. Hence the other hypothe- 
sis is the true one. Standing on divine right, the powers of 
the ministry do not come from Councils, Canons, Decrees, 
&c., neither from Apostles nor Bishops in themselves, but 
from the great Head of the Church, who is the only source 
of ministerial authority. The first ordinations in the Chris- 
tian Church were performed by the Redeemer himself; and 
with these the ministry would have ended, (in the absence of 
a direct communication from heaven,) had he not confided to 
the Apostles, who were the first Bishops proper, the solemn 
prerogative which he himself exercised, viz., that of trans- 
mitting the ministry to others, and of handing down the 
ordaining power from Bishop to Bishop, till the end of time. 
The power of ordaining was undoubtedly imparted to the 
Apostles, and they exercised it in the cases of Timothy, 
Titus, and others, conveying to these the same extraordinary 
function. They also ordained elders or presbyters in all the 
Churches, but did not commit to these the ability to ordain. 
This is manifest from the fact, that no evidence can be found 
in the New Testament, of their possessing or exercising it ; 
and since the Apostles' days, it has never been acknowledged 
as a function of the presbyter's office, (much less that of the 
deacon's,) in any part of the universal Church, The divine 
authority of the ministry then, has come down to our day by 
regular transmission in the lines of Bishops, and from them 
alone can be now obtained a right to minister in sacred 
things. To avoid repetition, the reader will further consult 
the articles Apostle, Bishop, Episcopacy, Church, Jure 
DiviNO, and Uninterrupted succession. 

In the Church of England, it is ordered that "no person 



PAL • 359 

shall be admitted a Deacon before he shall have attained the 
age of three and twenty years complete, and no person shall 
be admitted a Priest before he shall have attained the age of 
four and twenty years complete." * The Church in the 
United States prescribes that " Deacon's orders shall not be 
conferred on any person until he shall be twenty -one years 
old, nor Priests' orders on any one until he shall be twenty- 
four years old." And "no man shall be consecrated a 
Bishop of this Church, until he shall be thirty years old." f 

Ornaments. A term formerly applied to those garments 
and marks of distinction which were worn by the Clergy at 
the administration of divine service. Thus by the first rubric 
of the English Prayer-book, it is declared, "that such Orna- 
ments of the Church, and the Ministers thereof, at all times 
of their ministration, shall be retained and be in use, as were 
in this Church of England, by the authority of Parliament, in 
the second year of the reign of King Edward the Sixth." The 
vessels of the holy Communion were also denominated 
"ornaments." 

Orthodoxy. Soundness in the true faith, or doctrines of 
religion, as taught in the word of God, and maintained in the 
primitive ages of the Church. 



P. 

Palm Sunday. The Sunday next before Easter. It is 
so called in memory of Christ's entry into Jerusalem, when 
the people welcomed him by cutting down branches of the 
pahn trees, carrying them in their hands, and strewing them 
in the way. The festival has always been observed with 
great solemnity. 

♦ Act 44. Geo. III. t Canon VIII. of the General Convention. 



360 PAR 

"Pardons." In the Romish Church, pardons or indul- 
gences are releasements from the temporal punishment of 
siu; the power of granting which is supposed to be lodged 
in the Pope, to he dispensed by him to the Bishops and inferior 
Clergy, for the benefit of penitents throughout the Church. 
In the theory of pardons, the point is assumed, that holy men 
may accomplish more than is strictly required of them by 
the divine law; — that there is a meritorious value in this 
overplus: — that such value is transferable, and that it is de- 
posited in the spiritual treasury of the Church, subject to the 
disposal of the Pope, to be, on certain conditions, applied to 
the benefit of those whose deficiencies stand in need of such 
a compensation. A distinction is then drawn between the 
temporal and the eternal punishment of sin ; the former of 
which not only embraces penances, and all satisfactions for 
sin in the present life, but also the pains of purgatory in the 
next. These are supposed to be within the control and juris- 
diction of the Church ; and, in the case of any individual, 
may be meliorated or terminated by the imputation of so 
much of the overabundant merits of the saints, &c., as may 
be necessary to balance the deficiences of the sufl^erer. 

The privilege of selling pardons, it is well known, was 
frequently granted by the Pope to monastic bodies in every 
part of the Church; and the scandals and disorders consequent 
upon them, was one of the first moving -causes of the Re- 
formation. 

These remarks will illustrate the language of the Epis- 
copal Church in her 32d Article, viz. : " The Romish doc- 
trine concerning Purgatory, Pardons, 6^c., is a fond [foolish] 
thing, vainly invented, and grounded upon no warranty of 
Scripture, but rather repugnant to the word of God." 

Parish. The extent of territory embraced under the 
spiritual jurisdiction of a priest : or the persons residing 
within such a district, forming an organized ecclesiastical 
body, and worshipping in the same Church. The term 



PAR 361 

"parochia" was originally applied to a territory embracing 
several Churches, such as was afterwards denominated a 
"Diocese." In this was the Cathedral or Bishop's Church, 
where divine service was statedly performed, and to which the 
people resorted from the country adjacent. This Church form- 
ed a radiating point or centre, from which the priests were 
occasionally sent out by the Bishop, to instruct the people in 
the more remote parts of the parish or dioc( se, and to admin- 
ister the Sacraments, &c. In the course of time, these priests 
established smaller Churches in places where the population 
was numerous, and these were consecrated as oratories or 
chapels, having dependence on the Cathedral, or Mother- 
Church. In England, the secondary parishes thus formed, 
were far less numerous than at present, one of them fre- 
quently extending over a whole baronial territory. By 
later usage, they have been multiplied to meet the wants of 
an increasing population, and are accurately defined by 
boundary lines, and other ecclesiastical regulations. 

In the United States, "where parish boundaries are not 
defined by law, or otherwise, each city, borough, village, town, 
or township, in which there is one Protestant Episcopal Church 
or congregation, or more than one such Church or congrega- 
tion," is considered as forming the parish or parishes of the 
Clergy officiating therein. See Diocese. 

Parish-books. Certain books or documents, held by a 
Rector or Vestry, in which, from time to time, are recorded 
the state and condition of the parish, the transactions of the 
Vestry, and, in general, all business details relative to the 
temporal concerns of the Church. 

Parish library. A collection of religious books pro- 
vided for the use of the people of a parish, and usually kept 
in the Vestry-room or Church buildings, to be lent to the 
members of the congregation. 

Parishioner. Any one who belongs to a Parish. 

Parity. The same with ^qualify or similarity of rank. 

31 



362 , PAR 

The word is used chiefly in relation to the views of those 
who hold, that in the Christian Ministry there should exist 
but one degree or grade of office, — or in other words, that 
there should be among* Ministers an equality or parity, all 
being alike in point of rank. Whereas, in the Episcopal 
Church, as with the Apostles, there exist the three orders or 
degrees of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, making an im- 
parity or inequality of rank. See Imparity. 

Parochial. Pertaining to a Parish. 

Parochial recognition. In the Institution of a Min- 
ister into a Church, the public acknowledgment of him by 
the people, as their chosen and lawful Pastor, signified by the 
Churchwarden presenting him the keys of the Church, and 
in behalf of the Parish, ratifying the relation in which he 
stands. 

Parson. A clerical designation seldom used in the Ameri- 
can Church. In England, it " properly signifies the Rector 
of a parish Church ; because during the time of his incum- 
bency, he represents the Church, and in the eye of the law 
sustains the person thereof; as well in suing, as in being 
sued, in any action touching the same."* It has been re- 
marked by a divine of the Anglican Church, that " the ap- 
pellation of parson is the most honorable title that a parish 
priest can enjoy : for such an one, as Lord Coke observes, 
can be said " vicem seu personam ecclesise genere.""]" [To 
become the representative or substitute of the Church.] 

Parsonage. In its proper sense, this term signifies " a 
parish Church, endowed with a house, glebe," &c.f It is so 
used in the Ecclesiastical enactments of the Church of 
England ; for example, " Every Archbishop and Duke may 
have six Chaplains, whereof every one shall and may pur- 
chase license or dispensation, and take, receive, and keep 



* Geddolph, p. 185. t The laws Relating to the Clergy. 



PAS 363 

two parsonages or benefices with cure of soul."* Through- 
out the act from which this is quoted, and in both canon and 
civil law, the word parsonage is used as synonymous with the 
Church and its temporalities. 

In the United States, the term is usually employed in a 
more restricted sense, to denote the house, &c. belonging to 
a Church, and assigned as the residence of the Minister. In 
this sense the Church and Parsonage are regarded as distinct 
things. 

" Particular Church." See Article XXXIV., where it is 
said that " Every Particular or National Church, hath autho- 
rity to ordain, change, and abolish Ceremonies or Rites ;" 
&;c. — i. e. this power is not confined to the legislation of the 
Church in general, or throughout the world, but belongs to 
each of those great divisions which unitedly form the Church 
Catholic. Matters of mere form are variable, and may be 
adapted to the climate, genius of the people, &c. ; but mat- 
ters o^ faith stand on the higher ground of revelation, and 
are therefore common to the entire Church, and of invariable 
obligation. Hence the Article does not claim any authority 
in the Church to alter, ordain, or abolish these, but limits its 
power to things of its own institution. 

Paschal. Pertaining to the Passover. The lamb offered 
in this Jewish festival, being a prominent type of Christ, the 
terms paschal and paschal lamb, are often used in application 
to the Redeemer. An example occurs in the Proper Preface 
for Easter-day, in the Communion Office ; thus, " — thy 
Son Jesus Christ our Lord ; for he is the very Paschal Lamb, 
which was offered for us, and hath taken away the sin of the 
world," &c. 

Passing-bell. It was formerly a custom of the Church, 
to give notice by the tolling of a bell, when any one was 
about to depart this life. The object of this was to secure 

* Act of 21. Henry VIIL concerning Residences. 



364 PAS 

the private prayers of the faithful in behalf of the person 
dying. The care of the Church over her children, is beau- 
tifully depicted in this custom, and in the Canons, &c., refer- 
ring to it. " When any is passing out of this life," says the 
67th Canon of the Church of England, " a bell shall be tolled, 
and the Minister shall not then slack to do his last duty." 
The people were thus solemnly invited " to put up their last 
and most affectionate prayers for their dying neighbour, and 
to help their friend in those extremities, which themselves 
must assuredly one day feel. However, if their prayers are 
wanted, it is more requisite that the Minister should be dili- 
gent in his, who should therefore constantly be sent for, 
when these agonies approach, that so, he may assist the dy- 
ing soul in its flight to God, and alarm the living by such an 
example of mortality."* 

Passion. Suffering. In theology, the last sufferings of 
our Blessed Redeemer. Hence the designation of Passion- 
week, in which these events are commemorated by the 
Church. " Christ took on himself human nature," says La- 
timer, " being willing to deliver man out of this miserable 
way, and was content to sufier cruel passion [sufferings] in 
shedding his blood for all mankind." 

Passion Week. The last week of Lent, in which the 
Church commemorates some of the most affecting events in 
the work of our redemption. " This whole week, from the 
extraordinary devotion of the Church in it, was called the 
Great Week, and the Holy Week, and the observation of it 
is so ancient, that it is ascribed to the Apostles themselves. 

It was called the Great Week, because in this week was 
transacted an affair of the last importance to the happiness 
of man, and actions truly great were performed to secure his 
salvation : death was conquered, the devil's tyranny was. 

* Wheatly. 



PAS 365 

abolished, the partition-wall betwixt Jew and Gentile was 
broken down,*and God and man were reconciled. 

" It was called the Holy Week, from the devout exercises in 
which Christians employed themselves, at this time, as spe- 
cial acts of penitence for those sins which crucified the Lord 
of life. 

" It is also called Passion or Suffering Week, from its con- 
secration to the memory of the bitter sufferings of our Re- 
deemer. 

" This extraordinary fact was formerly observed with that 
strictness and humiliation, that some fasted three, some four, 
and others, who could bear it, all the six days successively. 

" Our Church uses her utmost endeavours to retain this de- 
cent and pious custom ; for she calls us every day this week 
to meditate upon our Lord's sufferings, and collects in the 
Lessons, Epistles, and Gospels, most of those portions of 
Scripture that relate to this tragical subject ; to increase our 
humiliation by the consideration of our Saviour's ; to the 
end that, with penitent hearts, and firm resolutions of dying 
to sin, we may attend him through the various stages of his 
bitter passion." 

Pastor. The Minister to whom is committed the care of 
a Church or Parish. 

Pastoral. Belonging to a parish. Thus pastoral duty, is 
the duty or labor which appertains to the office of a pastor. 
The Pastoral Office, is the office of one who is lawfully ap- 
pointed to watch over God's people, as a shepherd guards 
and protects his flock. 

Pastoral Letter. An occasional letter written by a 
pastor to his flock, affectionately instructing them on some 
topic concerning which his advice and admonition are needed. 
Also the name given to a letter prepared by the House of 
Bishops at the General Convention, and designed to be pub- 
licly read in all the Churches. 

The 7th Canon of the General Convention ordains, that at 
31* 



366 PAT 

each meeting of that body, a report on the state of the 
Church shall be sent from the House of Clerical and Lay 
Deputies to the Bishops, " with a request that they will draw 
up, and cause to be published, a pastoral letter to the mem- 
bers of the Church. And it is hereby made the duty of 
every clergyman having a pastoral charge, when any such 
letter is published, to read the said pastoral letter to his con- 
gregation on some occasion of public worship." 

Pastoral Staff. See Crosier. 

" Pate." Psalm vii. 17, in the Prayer-book ; " his wick- 
edness shall fall on his own pate,^^ — that is, the top or crown 
of the head, as if it were written, " his wickedness shall 
fall on the crown of his head." 

Paten, Patena, or Discus. The plate or dish on which 
the bread is placed at the Holy Communion, and from which 
the Priest distributes it to the Communicants. 

Pater Noster. The Latin of " Our Father." A title of 
the Lord's Prayer, in common use among Roman Catholics. 

Patriarch. In the ancient Churches, and in some at the 
present day, an office of dignity enjoyed by a Bishop, who 
exercises a certain jurisdiction over several provinces with 
their dioceses, and over their metropolitans or archbishops, 
and the diocesan bishops below them. 

Patriarchate. The district or bounds of a Patriarch's 
jurisdiction. The Christian Church was originally divided 
into four Patriarchates, viz., those of Rome, Alexandria, 
Antioch, and Jerusalem, over each of which a Patriarch 
presided. 

Patron. In England, one who has the gift and disposal 
of a Church or benefice. 

Patronage. In England, the right of appointing and pre- 
senting a clergyman to a Church or ecclesiastical benefice. 
The person in whom this is vested, is entitled the patron of a 
Church, the disposal of it being in his gift, connected with 



PEN 367 

an obligation on his part to defend and preserve the rights of 
the Church from injury. 

St. Paul's Conversion. See Conversion of St. Paul. 

Pelagians. A race of ancient heretics who espoused the 
opinions of Pelagius, a British monk, as set forth by him at 
Rome, in the early part of the fifth century. Pelagius taught 
" that the consequences of the sin of our first parents were 
confined to themselves, — that men are now born in the same 
state in which Adam was created, — that their natural powers 
are sufficient to work out their own salvation,— and that 
divine grace, although necessary, is only so for the purpose 
of arousing men to the exertion of those powers."* In 
Article IX., an error of the Pelagians is exposed and repro- 
bated. 

Penance. One of those Sacraments of the Romish 
Church which the 25th Article of Religion considers as 
having become such through " the corrupt following of the 
Apostles." 

The term is also used in Article XXXIII., where it is 
synonymous with penitence or repentance. In the same sense 
it was frequently used by the old writers. Wiclif says, that 
" the cross of penance hath four parts. The 1st is sorrow for 
losing the love of God. The 2d is sorrow for losing the joy 
of heaven. The 3d is sorrow for deserving the pain of hell. 
And the 4th is sorrow for serving to the fiend, (devil,) and 
sin."t 

Penitential Psalms. A designation given to those in 
which the Psalmist penitently mourns the guilt of sin, and 
appeals to the pardoning mercy of God. These are the 6th, 
32d, 38th, 51st, 102d, 130th, and 143d. 

Pentateuch. From irsvrs, five, and reup^o^, a book, or 
volume. The general or collective designation of the five 



♦ Professor Whittingham, in Jewell's Apology, p. 237. 
t Wiclif 's " Poor Caitiff." 



368 PET 

books of Moses, viz., Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, 
and Deuteronomy. 

Pentecost. See Whitsunday. 

"Perfect charity." This expression of the Church is 
used to designate that spirit of true Christian benevolence 
and affection, which should reign among all the members of 
the body of Christ — the Church. The epithet of perfect is 
applied to it, because this is the scriptural standard, which 
the Church claims no authority to alter or modify. 

At the Holy Communion, the people are exhorted to " be 
in perfect charity with all men." And in a prayer at the 
close of the Visitation of the Sick, are these words, " that, 
when we shall have served thee in our generation, we may 
be gathered unto our fathers, having the testimony of a good 
conscience, &c., &;c., and in perfect charity with the world." 
The degree of this charity is frequently illustrated in the 
Liturgy as the practice of universal good-will, the spirit of 
entire forgiveness, and the disposition to forbear under all 
provocations. A better example cannot be selected than the 
following passage from the Exhortation to prisoners under 
sentence of death : " Be in charity with all men ; being 
ready sincerely to forgive all such as have offended you, not 
excepting those who have persecuted you unto death. And, 
though this may seem a hard saying, yet know assuredly, that 
without it, your charity is not yet perfect." 

Perpetual Curate. In the Church of England, a Curate 
having a settled income, and not liable to removal, like ordi- 
nary Curates, by the Bishop or Rector. 

St. Peter's day. This eminent Apostle was born at 
Bethsaida, a town of Galilee, and was a fisherman by pro- 
fession. He was, it is generally thought, the elder brother 
of St. Andrew. 

It is evident, that he, St. James, and St. John, had a more 
peculiar intimacy with our Saviour than any of the rest of 



PHI 369 

the Apostles, from their conversing more frequently with him 
in private. 

The Church, on this day, celebrates his memory. The 
energy and activity of this Apostle are well known. He de- 
clared the gospel with such success after our Lord's ascen- 
sion, that, by a single discourse, three thousand souls were 
converted. He was afterwards sent by the Apostolical Col- 
lege, together with John, to confirm the new converts at Sa- 
maria. After being imprisoned by Herod, and miraculously 
delivered, he travelled into Phoenicia, and subsequently into 
Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Bithynia, and established a 
bishopric, v/hcre he himself sometimes presided in Antioch. 
After this lie visited Rome, and withstood Simon Magus, who 
had by this time acquired much fame in that city as a magi- 
cian. This led to the imprisonment of the Apostle, and 
finally his martyrdom. " St. Peter being first scourged, was 
led out to be crucified upon the hill called Janiculus, desiring 
to be fastened to the cross with his head downwards, alleging 
that he thought himself unworthy to die exactly after the 
same manner with his Lord." 

St. Philip and St. James's day. "St. Philip was born 
at Bethsaida, a town of Galilee, near the sea of Tiberias, in 
the barren part of the country of Judea, the principal inhab- 
itants whereof were poor illiterate fishermen, but of whom 
our blessed Saviour, residing in that remote place, was 
pleased to make choice of his disciples. 

He was the next, after St. Andrew and St. Peter, called to 
the Apostleship ; though some think before them." 

After the ascension of the Redeemer, this Apostle exer. 
cised his ministry in Asia. He closed his labors at Hier- 
apolis, a city of Asia Minor, now called Aleppo, where, as 
we learn from St. Chrysostom, he suffered martyrdom. 

St. James the Less. The reason of this appellation was, 
either because he was less in point of stature, or, which is 



370 PIT 

most probable, because he was younger, and not so. much 
advanced in years, when he came to the Apostleship. 

He was the son of Alpheus, and was otherwise called Cle- 
opas, and for distinction sake, the brother of the Lord. In 
regard to his first title, see Luke xxiv. 21. In regard to the 
last, see Galatians i. 19. 

After our Saviour's resurrection, he was constituted Bishop 
of Jerusalem, and presided, as it is thought, at the first 
Council held there, (see Acts xv.,) and directed the debates of 
the Apostles concerning the Jewish Ceremonies. 

PiNCKNEY Lectures. " Charles Pinckney, chief justice 
of South Carolina, under the provincial government, (father 
of the late Gen, C. C. Pinckney,) who died in 1758, by his 
last will directed that two sermons, in May arid November 
annually, being on the first Wednesday after the second 
Tuesday in each of these months, should be preached in St. 
Philip's Church, Charleston, on the * Greatness of God, and 
his goodness to all creatures,' with the view, as he states, ' to 
encourage and promote religious and virtuous principles and 
practices among us, and to raise an ardent love of the Deity 
in us, and in order to excite an emulation in my wealthy 
countrymen, whose abilities and fortunes will better enable 
them thereto, for establishing lectures among us, in humble 
imitation of those founded by the Hon. Mr. Boyle, in Great 
Britain.' For eflfecting these pious purposes the will states : 
' I do hereby charge my said mansion, and land, and build- 
ings, in Colleton square, devised to my eldest son, with the 
payment of five guineas yearly, and every year for ever, 
unto such lectures,' &c." 

" Pitiful." This word and its derivations have by modern 
usage been almost limited to the sense of mean, contemptible^ 
or insignificant. In the Bible and Prayer-book, the old and 
primary meaning of full of mercy, compassionate, or ten- 
der, is retained. " Be pitiful, be courteous," says St. Peter, 



poi 371 

(I. Epistle, iii. 8.) The English Prayer-book gives us these 

examples ; " though we be tied and bound with the 

chain of our sins, yet let the pitifulness of thy great mercy 
loose us," &c.* Again : ^^ pitifully behold the sorrows of 
our hearts ;" which petition in the Litany, is thus altered in 
the American Prayer-book : " With pity behold the sorrows 
of our hearts." In these, the original and better sense of the 
word is alone intended. In the Primer of King Edward VI., 
there is this expression : " O pitiful Physician, and Healer 
both of body and soul, Christ Jesu !" And Latimer, in his 
sermon on the Birth of Christ, remarks, " Preachers exhort 
us to godliness, to do good works, to be pitiful, and liberal 
unto the poor," &c., that is, to be compassionate, tender- 
hearted, and sympathizing to them. 

"Plight." An antiquated word occurring in the Order 
for the Solemnization of Matrimony, thus : " and thereto I 
plight thee my troth ;" that is, " I most solemnly ^ZecZ^e thee 
my truth and sincerity in this engagement." 

Plurality. In the Church of England, the holding of 
more than one benefice or parochial cure, by a Rector. 
This is forbidden by the 41st Canon, except to those who 
" shall be thought very well worthy for their learning, and 
very well able and sufficient to discharge their duty ;" and 
also, that by an express stipulation they shall bind themselves 
to reside personally in each benefice " for some reasonable 
time in every year." The said benefices are also to be not 
more than thirty miles asunder, and the Rector is bound to 
keep a Curate in that part in which he does not ordinarily 
reside. 

" Pointed." In the EngHsh Prayer-book, the Psalter, 
Venite, Te Deum, &c., &c., are punctuated throughout in a 
peculiar manner, by the insertion of a colon in or near the 
middle of each verse, without regard to grammatical rules. 



* Occasional Prajer. 



372 pos 

This is done with the design of facilitating the chanting of 
them, by presenting to the eye the most natural division of 
the verse, or that which will most readily correspond with 
the movement of the chant tune. In allusion to this, the 
title of the English Prayer-book states, that the Psalms of 
David are '•^pointed (or punctuated) as they are to be sung or 
said in Churches." In the American editions, the grammat- 
ical punctuation has been restored, and the above portion of 
the title omitted. 

Polity, Ecclesiastical. The order and government of the 
Church. See Episcopacy, Bishop, and Apostle. 

" Ports." In the 9th Psalm, at the 14th verse, in the 
Prayer-book, we read thus : " That I may show all thy 
praises within the ports of the daughter of Zion." The 
word does not here refer to a harhor or place for ships, but 
is used according, to its ancient signification for the gates 
of a city ; the meaning of the, verse will therefore be, " that 
I may show forth all thy praises within the gates of the 
daughter of Sion," that is, inside the gates of the holy city, 
or in the streets and public places of the city where God 
loved to dwell. See Psalm 73, 27th verse. 

PosT-coMMUNiON. That portion of the Communion Office 
which is after the consecration and delivery of the elements. 
See Ante-communion. 

PosTiLS. A name anciently given to Sermons or Homi- 
lies. The name sprung from the fact that these were usually 
delivered immediately after 'the reading of the Gospel, (quasi 
post ilia sc. Evangelica.) Also, in printed expositions of 
Scripture, from the text being first exhibited, and post ilia 
(after the words of the text) the explication of the writer.* 

Postures. The bodily attitudes assumed in the various 
parts of divine worship. No act whatsoever can be perform- 
ed, without the body taking some posture. This is the case 

* Home's Introduction. II. p. 747, 



PRA 373 

in divine worship, as well as in matters of less consequence. 
The only question therefore is, whether all possible postures 
are equally appropriate in that worship, and in its different 
departments. Reason, Scripture, and universal consent, testify 
that they are not. Kneeling and prostration seem peculiarly 
expressive of penitent humility. Bowing, of deep veneration. 
Standing, of joy and thanksgiving. Hence, the Church has 
wisely legislated on this matter, recommending her children 
to observe with uniformity, those long-established attitudes, 
which are vindicated by reason, and sanctioned by the ex- 
ample of Christ, his Apostles, and the holiest of men from 
the creation of the world. 

As a general rule, the Church enjoins kneeling in con- 
fession and prajrer ; standing in praise, the reciting of the 
creed, and in the exhortations of the liturgy ; and allows sit- 
ting during the reading of Scripture, and the delivery of 
sermons, &c. 

Power of the Keys. See Keys, Power of the. 

Praise. A reverent acknowledgment of the perfections 
of God, and of the blessings flowing from them to mankind, 
usually expressed in h5^mns of gratitude and thanksgiving, 
and especially in the reception of the holy eucharist — that 
•'sacrifice of praise," and sublimest token of our joy. 

Prayer. This duty may be described as "an offering up 
our desires to God, for things agreeable to his will, in the 
name of Christ, by the help of his Spirit, with confession of 
our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies." 
The necessity and obligation of prayer take their rise from 
the fact, that God requires it from us, as an acknowledgment 
of his sovereignty, and as a condition on which is suspended- 
the bestowal of the blessings we need. It hps therefore 
always formed a most important part of the public services 
of the Church, being the basis of every known liturgy, and 
the constant subject of all occasional and devotional offices. 
Respecting the mode and varieties of prayer, See Depre- 
32 



374 PRE 

CATIONS, Form, Intercession, Litany, Liturgy, and 
Supplications. 

Prayer-days. Though the service of the Church is 
intended for daily use, yet in the United States the custom 
has never come into general use. As a substitute for 
this, and the nearest approximation the times will allow-, 
to the original usage, certain days of the week are selected 
by some of the Churches in the larger cities, on which morn- 
ing service is publicly held. Such days are denominated 
•' Prayer-days," and are thus distinguished from the usual 
*' holy-days." See the rubrics before the Order of Public 
Baptism. 

Preacher. One who publicly declares and enforces the 
doctrines of religion, and other subjects embraced in the 
scojje of Christianity. The term is particularly applied to a 
Clergyman engaged to deliver courses of sermons at stated 
times, or to fill a pulpit on extraordinary occasions. As a 
general title for the ministry, it is little used in the Episcopal 
Church, being too narrow in its signification. 

Preaching. Proclaiming, or publicly setting forth the 
truths of religion. Hence the reading of Scripture to the 
congregation, is one branch of preaching, and is so denom- 
inated in Acts XV. 21. "Moses of old time hath in every 
city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues 
every Sabbath-day." The term is, however, generally re- 
stricted to the delivering of sermons, lectures, &c. The 
authority to perform this office was originally committed to 
all the grades of the ministry ; and in the apostolic age, 
when gifts of utterance, and other extraordinary qualifica- 
tions were common, no restriction was necessary in the 
exercise of this function, nor does it appear ever to have been 
laid on those to whom any office of the ministry was com.- 
mitted. But in after ages, when the circumstances of the 
Church had materially changed, and the people were abun- 
dantly supplied with pastors, a greater degree of care anddis- 



PREACHING. 375 

crimination was found necessary. The liturgical services 
and the reading of the Scriptures were therefore committed 
to the inferior Clergy, as well as to the Bishops ; but public 
expositions of the word of God were usually confined to 
these latter, for the more secure preservation of the integrity 
of the faith. Presbyters, however, were in some cases al- 
lowed to exercise this part of their office, especially w^hen 
they exhibited qualifications of a superior order. Among the 
Greeks, Basil, Chrysostom, and Gregory Nazianzen, were 
eminently distinguished for their florid and eloquent dis- 
courses and homilies; while Jerome, Augustine, and others, 
maintained a high reputation among the Latins. Their 
homilies were chiefly on the expository system, and varied 
in length according to the occasion and the subject, many of 
them occupying only from eight to ten minutes in their de- 
livery, while others were of equal extent with a modern ser- 
mon. Daring the middle ages, preaching degenerated very 
much from the noble models which had been set by the 
golden-mouthed orators of better days; and what with the 
subtleties of the school-men, and the influence of a corrupted 
taste in the people, theology and wild metaphysics were given 
in wedlock, and brought forth^a brood of mystical dogmas 
and theses, as admirable for their obscurity as for their un- 
profitableness. 

The Reformation broke in upon this abuse of the pulpit, 
with a determination to restore the banner of the cross to its 
rightful eminence. The Church, however, found many of 
her Clergy, at first, too feeble to venture far without her 
kindly help. For these, provision was made by the publica- 
tion of two books of Homilies, admirably adapted to the 
times and the exigency, and which, when burnished afresh, 
may do essential service in another polemical campaign. 
The Church did not halt here, but set on foot a process of 
ecclesiastical training, the subjects of which have since, not 
only purified her pulpits, and caused the voice of joy and 



376 PRE 

praise to resound in the dwellings of the righteous, but have 
given her a name and a rank in Christendom to which none 
can look without veneration. The American Church is thus 
proud to walk in the steps of her saintly Mother; and we 
trust that the same nervous tone of orthodoxy which has 
sounded from the one, may ever be echoed from the other. 
Bred in the same school, — taught in the same faith, — blessed 
with the same liturgy, — and, more than all, protected by the 
same Bishop of souls, — may the word of Christ dwell in both 
richly, and his kingdom prosper in their hands. 

Prebend. In the Church of England, the stipend which is 
received by a prebendary, from the revenues of the Cathedral 
or Collegiate Church with which he is connected. 

Prebendary. A Clergyman attached to a Cathedral or 
Collegiate Church, who enjoys a prebend, in consideration of 
his officiating at times in the Church. See Prebend, and 
Canon. 

Precomposed. This term is applied to prayers, &c., which 
are composed before ihe time when they are publicly offered, 
to distinguish them from such as are extempore, or made when 
the Minister delivers them. The whole of the Church ser- 
vice, as set forth in the Prayer-book, is a precomposed form. 
See Liturgy. 

Prefaces. Certain short occasional forms in the Com- 
munion service, which are introduced by the Priest, on par- 
ticular festivals, immediately before the Anthem, beginning, 
" Therefore with angels and archangels," &c. This anthem 
is a song of praise, or an act of profound adoration, equally 
proper at all times ; but the Church calls upon us more es- 
pecially to use it on her chief festivals, in remembrance of 
those events which are then celebrated. Thus, on Christ- 
mas day the Priest having said, — " It is very meet, right, 
and our bounden duty, that we should at all times and in all 
places give thanks unto thee, O Lord [Holy Father] Al- 
mighty, everlasting God," — -adds the proper preface, which 



PRE 377 

assigns the reason for peculiar thankfulness on that particu- 
lar day, viz : — " Because thou didst give Jesus Christ, thine 
only Son, to be born as at this time for us ; who, by the opera- 
tion of the Holy Ghost, was made very man, of the substance 
of the Virgin Mary his Mother ; and that without spot of sin, 
to make us clean from all sin : Therefore, with angels," &c. 
The days for which these prefaces are provided, are, — Christ- 
mas, Easter, Ascension, and seven days after. Also, Whit- 
sunday, and six days after ; together with Trinity Sunday, 
The antiquity of such prefaces may be estimated from the 
fact that they are mentioned and^njoined in the 103d Canon 
of the African Code, which Code was formed of the decisions 
of many Councils prior to the date, 418. 

In the Order of Confirmation, the introductory address is 
also called a preface. 

Prelacy. The office and rank of a Bishop or Prelate. 
The term is also used, frequently in a contemptuous sense, by 
the non-conformists and others, for the entire system of Epis- 
copal Ministerial order. 

Prelate. A title or designation belonging only to the 
office of a Bishop. For example : — " On Sunday morning, 
the Bishop of London held an ordination. In the afternoon, 
the same Prelate confirmed fifty persona," 

The term was anciently used with less restriction, being 
sometimes employed according to its derivation, for those 
who were held in high esteem and reverence, without regard 
to their place of rank in the Ministry. Accordingly, Arch- 
bishop Seeker, in his second charge, admits that in this broad 
sense "parish Priests are Prcelati.''^* So also the good old 
Latimer, — " A Prelate is that man, whatsoever he is, that 
has a flock to be taught by him ; whosoever has any spiritual 
charge in the faithful congregation, and whosoever he is that 



♦ See also Index to Lyndwood in Preelatus. 
32* 



378 PRE 

has a care of souls."* As a general rule, however, the term 
applies only to Bishops ; and usage, from the time of the Re- 
formation downwards, sanctions this limitation. 

Presbyter. The designation of a minister of the second 
rank or order. The word implies the same as Elder or 
Priest. A Presbyter having been twice ordained, is one de- 
gree above a Deacon, and occupies the middle rank between 
a Bishop and a Deacon. Being invested with the full powers 
of an ordinary Pastor, he may administer the holy Commun- 
ion, and pronounce the absolution and benediction, all which 
the Deacons are not qualified to perform, those exercises not 
appertaining to their office. See Bishop. 

Presbyterate. The office and rank of a Presbyter. 

Prescribed. That which has been written and appointed 
before the time when it is publicly delivered ; as, for exam- 
ple, the Liturgy and all services and offices in the Prayer- 
book. See Liturgy. 

Presentation. In the Church of England, the act, on the 
part of the patron of a Church, of offering and recommend, 
ing a Clergyman to the Bishop, to be instituted rector, &c., 
of the benefice. Also, in the Episcopal Church in general, 
the ceremony prescribed in the Ordinal, of bringing for- 
ward the Candidates for ordination, and committing them to 
the Bishop for admission to the ministry. The same term is 
employed in relation to persons brought by their pastor to 
the Bishop to receive confirmation. 

Presentation of Christ in the Temple. See Purifi- 
cation. 

Presiding Bishop. According to the usage of our Church, 
the Bishop who has been longest in the Episcopal office, is 
President of the House of Bishops, and thus presides at 
General Conventions, &c., besides discharging such other 
duties as, for convenience sake, may be allotted him by 

* Sermon, Of the Plough. 



PRE 379 

the Canons and customs of the Church. The title or desig- 
nation of Senior Bisliop is also applied to him, not in respect 
to his age, but in reference to the fact of his being the oldest 
in the order of consecration, while that oi Presiding Bi^^hop, 
rather refers to the nature of his duties. See Senior 
Bishop. 

" Prevent." A word, which has suffered so remarkable 
a change in its usage, within the last two hundred years, that, 
without some explanation, many passages in the Bible and 
Prayer-book are scarcely intelligible. 

What, for example, would be thought of a Prayer begin- 
ning thus : " Prevent us, O Lord, in all our doings ?" Yet 
this is the opening of one of the Collects at the end of the 
Communion Service in the English Prayer-book, — the same 
which has been altered in the American editions to read, 
" Direct us, O Lord, in all our doings," &c. 

The original sense of the word is, to go hefore^ or to an- 
ticipate, assist, or help ; and in this sense it is generally used 
in the Bible and Prayer-book. The following are examples. 
" Lord, we pray thee, that thy grace may always 'prevent 
^w^ follow us," — i. e., that the favor of God may always go 
with us, before and after every good work. Collect for the 
17th Sunday after Trinity. 

" We humbly beseech thee, that as, by thy special grace, 
•preventing us, thou dost put into our minds good desires," 
&c. — that is, God, by his grace aiding and working in us, 
causes holy thoughts and pure desires to arise in our minds. 
Collect for Easter. 

" We have no power to do good works, pleasant and ac- 
ceptable to God, without the grace of God by Christ prevent, 
ing us, that we may have a good will," &c. — i. e., the grace 
of God, moving and enabling us to will those things which 
are good and pleasing to him. Article X. 



* From prcc, "before," and venio, ''to go." 



380 PRi 

"Let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us;" that is, 
" let thy mercy, anticipating our wants, deliver us without 
delay." Psalm, Ixxix. 8. 

" Ii the morning shall my ^Xccyev prevent thee." The 
Prayer-book version is an admirable comment on this ; 
" early shall my prayer come hefore thee." Psalm, Ixxxviii. 
13. 

" 1 prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried;" — 
i. e., " I cried even before the dawning of the morning." 
Psalm, cxix. 147. 

" We, which are alive and remain, * * * * ^^ shall not 
prevent them which are asleep ;" — that is to say, those 
Christians who shall be alive at the second coming of Christ, 
will not be glorified hefore those who are in their graves ; 
but after the dead are raised, then those who were alive 
" shall be caught up together with them, in the clouds, to 
meet the Lord in the air." 1 Thes. iv. 16, 17. 

For other examples. See Job, xxx. 27 ; xli. 11 ; Psalm, 
xxi. 3 ; lix. 10 ; cxix. 148 ; 2 Sam. xxii. 6. 19 ; Isaiah, xxi. 
14 ; Amos, ix. 10. 

The following passage from the "judicious Hooker," 
affords a happy instance of the ancient use of the word be- 
fore us. " Are we to shun any requisite action, only because 
we have in the practice thereof been prevented by idolaters ?" 
that is, because idolaters have chanced to do the same thing 
hefore us. 

Again. " Those who truly fear God, have a secret gui- 
dance from a higher wisdom than what is barely human ; 
namely, by the Spirit of truth and wisdom, that doth really 
and truly, but secretly, prevent and direct them." Sir 
Matthew Hale. 

Price Lectures. An annual course of lectures, delivered 
in Boston, endowed by Mr. William Price, a respectable 
book and print-seller of that city, and a. devoted Churchman. 



PRi 381 

By his last will and testament, in 1770, he bequeathed an 
estate, in trust, for certain purposes, the principal of which 
was the support of a course of Sermons to be preached an- 
nually, in Lent ; for which purpose, sixteen pounds sterling 
were every year to be appropriated. The subjec' s of the sev- 
eral lectures, (eight in number,) the days on which, and the 
persons by whom, they were to be preached, arc specified in 
the will with great minuteness ; and it is directed, with cha- 
racteristic benevolence, that, after each lecture, there shall 
be made a contribution for the poor, into which, at each 
time, five shillings sterling shall be put by the church- 
wardens — the whole proceeds to be divided, on Good Friday, 
between the ministers and wardens of the parishes interested 
in the lectures, for the use of the poor.* 

Priest. A designation of the second Qrder or grade 
of the Christian ministry, equivalent to Presbyter, or 
Elder. The word is formed by a contraction of the Greek 
npstf/DuTcpo^, a preshyier, with an English termination. Some 
diversity of opinion has prevailed respecting the propriety of 
this designation, similar to that which has attended the use 
of the words altar and sacrifice in the Christian Church. 
The gist of tlie objection lies in this, — that there is no such* 
office existing in the Church as that of an Ispsu^ or sacerdos, 
(a minister of sacrifices,) inasmuch as sacrifices are abol- 
ished, and altars with them. It will be granted that the 
English word " priest," is the representative of the two 
Greek words Ispsu^ and Ilpso'/Surspoc:, i. e. Sacerdos and Pres- 
byter. The question then is, whether the sacerdotal cha- 
racter really exists in the Christian Ministry. In the view 
of the Church of Rome, the affirmative is contended for, on 
the ground that, in the Eucharist, the Priest offers a true pro- 
pitiatory sacrifice for the sins of both the living and the dead. 
If this were so, there could no longer be any dispute on the 

* Banner of the Church, p. 107. 



382 PRIEST. 

question; but this is positively denied by the Church in her 
31st Article, where it is said that "the Sacrifice of Masses, 
in which it was commonly said, that the Priest did offer 
Christ for the quick and the dead, to have remission of pain 
or guilt, were blasphemous fables, and dangerous deceits." 
This settles the question so far as regards the connection of 
the term with the offering of a propitiatory sacrifice ; but we 
apprehend that it does nothing more. Why then is the term 
retained ? And why does the Church talk of " sacerdotal 
functions," in the Office of Institution, and elsewhere ? Is this 
a mere play upon words, or an ecclesiastical pun ? The reply 
to this we shall draw from the early days of the Chur/^h, — 
those days to which our Reformers looked with deep and 
solemn veneration. 

At a period very ancient, the whole of divine worship was 
distinguished by the title of Sacrificium, or sacrifice. This 
name was given to the prayers and praises, preaching, and 
devotion of body and soul to Christ, in the sacraments of 
baptism and the Lord's Supper.* But more particularly, 
and with greater dignity, was the term applied to the conse- 
crated symbols of the body and blood of Christ, called by 
► St. Chrysostom " the tremendous sacrifice." The ministers 
officiating were also endowed with the corresponding title of 
" Priests," (sacerdotes,) and Bishops had the appellation of 
" Summi Sacerdotes," (chief priests.) And these names 
were given, not with relation solely to the administration of 
the Eucharist, but to the exercise of their prerogative in the 
various acts of divine worship. " It was one act of the 
priest's office to offer up the sacrifice of the people's prayers, 
praises, and thanksgivings to God, as their mouth and orator, 
and to make intercession to God for them. Another part of 
the office was in God's name to bless the people, particularly 
by admitting them to the benefit and privilege of remission 

* Bingham, IV. p. 16. 



PRi 383 

of sins by spiritual regeneration or baptism. Above this 
was the power of offering up to God the people's sacrifices 
at the altar ; that is, as Mr. Mede and others explain them, 
first the eucharistical oblations of bread and wine to agnize 
or acknowledge God to be the Lord of the creatures ; then 
the sacrifice of prayer and thanksgiving in commemoration 
of Christ's bloody sacrifice upon the cross, mystically repre- 
sented in the creatures of bread and wine ; which whole 
sacred action was commonly called the Christian's reason- 
able and unbloody sacrifice, or the sacrifice of the altar."* 
The power of ministerial absolution, and that of benediction, 
were also considered as sacerdotal acts, together with that of 
spiritual jurisdiction and ordination vested in the Bishops. 
These facts and explanations go to show that, in the view of 
the Church, " sacerdotal functions " are not confined to the 
offering of bloody or expiatory sacrifices, and consequently 
that a presbyter ma^ be a true priest or sacerdos, without 
involving the doctrine to which we have alluded as held by 
the Romanists. It is the fear of this doctrine which has 
created repugnance to the word in question ; and has led to 
the impression that, though authorized by the Church, there 
is a trifle more of Popery about it, than in the kindred term 
" Presbyter." We believe^that there is no Popery in either, 
inasmuch as they were in use before Popery was born. The 
one is scriptural ; the other, not contrary to Scripture ; and 
both may be properly used, without involving unlawful and 
heretical associations. 

Priesthood. 1. The office and dignity of a Priest or 
Presbyter. 2. The persons composing the order of Priests. 
3. The Ministry of the Christian Church. In the latter sense 
the term is little used, though cases may be adduced from 
ancient Canons and early writers, in which Deacons arc in- 



Bingharo, I. p. 201 



384 PBi 

eluded under the general denomination of the priesthood. 
See Priest. 

Priestly. Something appertaining to, or connected with 
a Priest ; thus, Priestly robes, are the garments worn by a 
Priest when performing his sacred duties. The Priestly 
office, is that rank and station which a priest possesses in the 
Church of God. Priestly authority, is that spiritual power 
which has been committed to a priest. The abuse of this is 
frequently termed priestcraft. 

Primate. A metropolitan or archbishop, having juris- 
diction over the diocesan bishops of a province. See Arch- 
bishop. 

Primitive. That which is first, original, at the begin- 
ning, as the primitive faith, order, and discipline of the Church, 
equivalent to apostolical, or those which existed at the earliest 
days of the Church. 

Primitive Church. The Church as it existed in the ages 
immediately after its first establishment. From its near con- 
nection with the Apostles and other inspired men, the prim- 
itive Church enjoyed many advantages, of which, at later 
periods, it was deprived. To the earliest ages we naturally 
look for illustrations of obscurities in the New Testament ; 
for evidence and testimony of matters of fact ; for sound in- 
terpretations of doctrine ; proofs of the efficacy of the gos- 
pel, and examples of undaunted Christian heroism. Hence the 
value we are accustomed to attach to the writings which have 
come down to us from the first three centuries after Christ ; and 
this value is considerably enhanced by the fervor, the beauty, 
and the surpassing eloquence which adorned the Church in 
that early day, and in the ages following. These were fa- 
miliarly known to the Reformers of the Church of England ; 
and having taken the primitive Church as their model, and as 
the best witness of Catholic principles and usages, they 
transfused its spirit not only into the liturgy, but into the 
whole frame-work and superstructure of that venerable fabric 



PRO ■ 385 

they aimed to restore. How well they succeeded, is evi- 
denced in that fearless appeal which Episcopalians ever make, 
first to the Apostolic Church, then to those who drew their 
principles from it along with their infant breath, and flourished 
and died in an age when inspiration itself was scarcely ex- 
tinct. That Church has nothing to dread, which can lay its 
standards on the altar of antiquity, and return them to her 
bosom signed with the glorious testimony of a Polycarp, an 
Ignatius, a Clement, and a " noble army of martyrs ;" no- 
thing has she to dread, but the possibility of declension, and 
unfaithfulness to her sacred trust. 

Procession. A ceremony of considerable antiquity, con- 
sisting in a formal march of a train of clergy and others, 
during the performance of the Litany or any other solemn 
service. Public processions in the streets are still common 
in the Romish and Oriental Churches ; on which occasions 
the holy eucharist, crosses, relics, &c., are borne by the ec- 
clesiastics, and due reverence is demanded from all specta- 
tors. Processions of this kind continued in the Church of 
England till the time of the Reformation, when they were 
abolished ; but an injunction was nevertheless given by Queen 
Elizabeth, in 1559, " that the parishioners shall once in the 
year, at the time accustomed, with the curate and the sub- 
stantial men of the parish, walke about the parishes, as they 
were accustomed, and at their returne to the Church make 
their common prayers." The 17th Homily, in the second 
Book, is designed to be used at these " Perambulations." 

Procession of the Holy Ghost. A term expressive of the 
Scripture doctrine of the Holy Ghost proceeding from the 
Father and the Son. This is expressly declared in John, xv. 
26. " When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto 
you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth which proceed- 
eth from the Father, He shall testify of me." This doctrine 
is incorporated into the Nicene Creed, in the words, " I be- 
lieve in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who prO' 
33 



386 PRO 

ceedeth from the Father and the Son." The addition of the 
words " from the Son," (Jilioque) was the occasion of a severe 
contest about the 8th or 9th centuries, between the Greek 
and Latin Churches, which resulted in mutual charges of 
error, and in the determination of the Greek Church not to 
admit the expression. 

Profession. A solemn public declaration of " repentance 
towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ," as in the 
Offices of Baptism, which See. 

Proper Lessons. Chapters or portions of Scripture dif- 
fering from those set against the day of the month in the 
Calendar, and particularly appointed to be used on certain 
holy-days. 

Proper Prefaces. See Prefaces. 

Proper Psalms. On certain holy-days, the regular 
Psalms for the day of the month are omitted, in divine ser- 
vice, being superseded by others specially appointed ; and 
which, being more immediately appropriate to the occasiDn, 
are denominated " Proper Psalms." The holy-days for 
which these are appointed, are Christmas, Ash Wednesday, 
Good Friday, Easter, Ascension, and Whitsunday. The 
Proper Psalms for these will be found by consulting the 
Table immediately following the preface of the Prayer-book. 

Permission is also given to the Minister to " use any one 
of the Selections, instead of any one of the above Portions," 
in which case the " Venite exultemus " is to be omitted, and 
its place supplied by anthems appointed for that purpose. 
These may be found between the Selections of Psalms and 
the Psalter in the Prayer-book. 

Besides the above. Proper Psalms are also appointed to be 
used at the " Consecration of a Church," and at the " Insti- 
tution of a Ministei*," a list of which will be found in the 
services for those occasions. 

" Property." That which is owned or possessed by any 
one. When applied to the Divine Being, it refers to those 



PRO 387 

attributes or perfections which belong peculiarly to Him. 
Thus, in the Communion Service, we read, " But thou art 
the same Lord, whose property is always to have mercy ;" 
that is, " it belongs to God, always to exercise mercy, and to 
forgive." Again, in one of the Collects for Ash Wednesday : 
" Thy property is always to have mercy," which is of nearly 
the same import with the succeeding words, " to thee only it 
' appertaineth to forgive sins." Latimer has the following re- 
mark on the words " there were giants in those days," &c. 
" These were giants, so called, from the property of giants, 
for they oppress the weak," &;c.* 

Prothesis. a side table near the altar, on which, in the 
primitive Church, " the offerings of the people were received, 
out of which the bread and wine was taken that was conse- 
crated at the altar, "f Though the prothesis has for the most 
part been banished from our churches, yet in the Commun- 
ion office there is a distinct allusion to it, and the rubrics 
cannot be fully met without some provision of this kind. Im- 
mediately before the prayer for Christ's Church militant, it is 
made the duty of the Priest, then and there, to ^^ place upon 
the table so much bread and wine as he shall think sufficient." 
Consequently these were not on the table before, and, as 
Wheatly remarks, — "the placing the elements upon the 
Lord's table, before the beginning of morning prayer, by the 
hands of a clerk or sexton, (as is now the general practice,) 
is a profane and shameful breach of the aforesaid rubric." 
With the justice of this sentiment. Bishop White fully con- 
curred, and (if we are rightly informed) always had a small 
side-table near the altar of his Church in Philadelphia. " la 
the primitive Church, says the Bishop, there was a prothesis or 
side-table, for the previous reception of the elements. The 
priests removing of them to the Lord's table was considered 
as an official act. It is not agreeable to the present writer's 

* Sermon on Covetousness. t Bingham's Antiq. ii. 167. 



338 , PSA 

habits of thinking, to lay too much stress on matters of order ; 
but as the provision now noticed was designed to be an act 
of devotion, although not accompanied by words, he wishes 
for the restoration of it, by the reducing of practice to the 
existing rule."* 

Proto-martyr. a title generally given to St. Stephen, as 
the jirst martyr who suffered for the sake of Christ. In the 
Collect for St. Stephen's day, allusion is made to this fact, in the 
words, that we " may learn to love and bless our persecutors, 
by the example of thy j^r5^ 7wari?/r Saint Stephen, who prayed 
for his murderers," &c. 

Province. In the Church of England, the collective Dio- 
ceses are arranged under two general divisions, over each of 
which one of the Archbishops exercises jurisdiction. These 
are denominated the Provinces of Canterbury and of York. 
See Archbishop. 

Psalm. A sacred song or hymn, in praise of the perfec- 
tions of God, or on any topic of devotion and religious expe- 
rience. 

Psalmody. The practice of singing psalms, which was 
anciently performed by chanting or reciting them in a musi- 
cal tone, as still retained in the cathedrals of England, and 
in some other ancient churches. The term is now usually 
applied only to the singing of psalms in metre. 

Psalter. The book of Psalms. This divine book has 
in every age of the Church been regarded with the greatest 
admiration, and almost all the ancient Liturgies have drawn 
largely from its rich and diversified abundance of material. 
By Athanasius it was styled an epitome of the whole Scrip- 
tures. St. Basil calls it the summary of the Old Testament ; 
and in later times, Melancthon eulogized it as the most 
elegant writing in the whole world. It is not surprising then, 
that the Psalms should form so considerable a portion of the 

* Bishop White on the Ordination Office, p. 201. 



PSALTER. 389 

service of the present Church. Excepting the Lord's Prayer, 
there is no part of Scripture so frequently repeated, and none 
which bears repetition with a better welcome from every 
devotional mind. 

The division of the Psalms into daily portions, as given in 
our Prayer-books, has been done with a view to convenience. 
Something like this has long prevailed in the Church, but 
without its regularity and system. Thus, in Egypt, at first, 
in some places, they read 60 psalms ; in others, 50 ; and af- 
terwards they all agreed to recite 12 only. Columbanus, in 
his rule, appointed the number of psalms to vary according 
to the seasons of the year, and the length of the nights ; so 
that sometimes 75 were suncr. In the monasteries of Arme- 
nia they repeat 99 psalms, to the present day. Previously 
to the reform of our offices, the English Church prescribed 
12 psalms for the nocturn ; but at that period the number 
was reduced on an average to three, by the division of the 
119th, and by reckoning some other long psalms as each 
more than one.* Under the present arrangement, the 
Psalms are divided into 60 portions, two of which are ap- 
pointed for each day of the month. Selections are also set 
forth by the American Church, which may be used instead of 
the regularly appointed portions. 

The custom of repeating the psalms alternately, or verse 
by verse, between the Minister and the people, is probably 
designed to supply the place of the ancient antiphon, or the 
responsive chanting of the psalms by two distinct choirs. 
This latter practice is still retained in the cathedrals of Eng- 
land, and is more primitive than the alternate reading now 
prevailing in parish Churches. 

The Prayer-book version of the Psalter differs from that 
in the common Bible. Of this we shall have occasion to 
speak under the head of Translation. 



* Origines Lilurgicae, I. p. 224. 
33* 



390 PUL 

Publishing. To publish is, in the common use of the 
word, to declare or give notice in the Church, of the Bans of 
Matrimony, or of any other matters to be made known to the 
congregation. See Bans of Matrimony. 

The appointed time for this, in the Morning service, is 
immediately after the reading of the Gospel for the day. 

Pulpit. An elevated place in a Church, from which ser- 
mons and lectures are delivered. This seems to be the ap- 
propriate use of the pulpit in Episcopal Churches ; and hav- 
ing prevailed for several ages, it has obtained the sanction 
and general consent of the Church. In the primitive ages, 
tlie ordinary custom was for the preacher to. stand on the 
steps of the altar while delivering his sermon, and the pulpit 
or ambon was used as a reading desk, from which the les- 
sons of Scripture were pronounced. It was always erected 
in the body of the Church, at some considerable distance 
from the sanctuary or chancel, and elevated by the height of 
several steps above the general level. 

In the Church of England, the pulpit is generally used, as 
in the United States, for the delivery of sermons ; yet the 
rule is not positively exclusive of other religious acts, so they 
be of the nature of addresses to the people. For example, 
the former part of the Commination Office in the English 
prayer-book, is ordered to be read " in the Reading Pew or 
pulpit ;" and the Exhortations to the Communion are to 
jbe read " after the Sermon or Homily ended," which would 
seem to imply that they should be read in the pulpit ; though 
there is, we allow, some want of consistency between this 
(_English) rubric and another before the offertory. Bidding 
of prayer was also enjoined before all sermons, lectures, and 
homilies, evidently from the pulpit. 

It does not appear, however, that the pulpit was to be used 
as a place of actual prayer. This, says Wheatly, "has 
been discountenanced and prohibited almost in every reign, 
since the Reformation, by our governors and superiors, both 



PULPIT. 391 

in Church and State."* That a contrary practice has, not- 
withstanding, prevailed in the Church, is well known ; and 
against this a decision of the American General Convention 
was a few years ago directed, recommending the disuse of 
prayers in the pulpit before sermon. The use of collects in 
the same place after sermon, is still retained, more as a mat- 
ter of convenience, we suppose, than of oi'der. 

The ancient position or place of the pulpit was in the body 
or near the centre of the Church. By late usage it is sta- 
tioned within or near the chancel, sometimes by itself, but 
more frequently in the immediate rear of the desk. The 
probability is, that this latter arrangement was adopted to 
secure a central position for the speaker, where he might be 
both seen and heard with convenience by the whole congre- 
gation. It is also to be remembered, that the present pew 
system, which is not of long standing, has had something to 
do with the location of the pulpit. In the old churches, 
where the people either stood en masse, or provided them- 
selves with moveable seats, (as in some European Cathedrals 
at the present day,) it was easy for them, at the beginning of 
the sermon, to crowd around the pulpit, and come within 
range of the preacher's voice ; but since the introduction of 
pews, and the consequent location of the people in determi- 
nate places, it was thought necessary to plant the pulpit in 
the most favourable position for an equal radiation of sound 
to every part of the Church. Still it is questionable, whether, 
in the moderate size of our churches, there can be pleaded a 
necessity of this kind, warranting the elevation of the pulpit 
above the altar, or the placing it in a position where it must 
exclude the minister from view when consecrating the ele- 
ments in the eucharist. 

Some of the older churches preserve an arrangement, 
copied also in a few of modern structure, in which the true 



♦ Page 294. 



392 PUR 

dignity of the altar is secured, by placing the pulpit and desk 
in subordinate positions on either side. This was the model 
so highly commended by Bishop Heber, concerning which it 
is stated in his life, that, when he was on a visit at Vepery, 
" he was particularly struck with the good taste which, by 
placing the pulpit and reading desk on each side of the aisle, 
gave from every part of the church a full and uninterrupted 
view of the recess of the altar, which is well raised and of 
excellent proportions. It is his wish, that in every church, 
the altar should be the first and chief object, and that it 
should be rather more elevated than is usually the case." 
The same plan had long before been adopted by Herbert, in 

the " re-edification " of his rural church at Layton ; " by 

his order, the reading-pew and pulpit were a little distance 
from each other, and both of an equal height : for he would 
often say, — " They should neither have a precedency nor 
priority of the other ; but that praying and preaching, being 
equally useful, might agree like brethren, and have an equal 
honour and estimation."* In the American Church, speci- 
mens of this arrangement may be seen in St. Michael's, 
New-York ; St. Peter's, Albany ; and St* Peter's, Salem, 
Massachusetts. The same plan originally prevailed in St. 
Paul's, Boston, and St. James', Roxbury, Massachusetts ; but 
some alterations have since been made. The Roman Catho- 
lic Cathedral at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, furnishes an ex- 
ample of a pulpit provided with wheels or casters, and port- 
able steps, by which it can be stationed in any desirable 
position in the edifice. 

"Pure Heart." In the exhortation at the opening of 
Morning and Evening Prayer, the congregation are invited to 
accompany the minister " with a pure heart and humble voice, 
unto the throne of the heavenly grace." The word " pure " 
is not to be rigidly interpreted here, as implying innocence 

« Walton's Lives,;'p, 310; 



PUR 393 

and freedom from moral infirmity ; but that state of mind 
which, in the former part of the exhortation, is spoken of as 
" an humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart ;" — a heart 
also free from dissimulation, not wishing to " cloke " its sins, 
but rather to " confess " them. See also the Collect for the 
18th Sunday after Trinity, and that for the Purification of 
the Virgin Mary. 

Purgatory. A supposed place of temporary punish- 
ment, where the souls of the departed are purged by fire, 
previous to their admittance to heaven. The pains of pur- 
gatory are held to be expiatory, and are proportioned in de- 
gree and duration to the demerits of the sufferer. In article 
XXII., the Romish doctrine concerning purgatory, is de- 
clared to be " a fond thing vainly invented, and grounded 
upon no warranty of Scripture, but rather repugnant to the 
Word of God." 

Purification of the Virgin Mary. " This holy-day is 
kept in memory of the presentation of Christ in the Temple. 
It was a precept of the Mosaic law, that every first-born son 
should be holy unto the Lord, to attend the service of the 
Temple or Tabernacle, or else to be redeemed with an offer- 
ing of money, or sacrifice. The mother, also, was obliged 
to separate herself forty-days from the congregation, after the 
birth of a male, and eighty after that of a female ; and then 
was to present a lamb, if in good circumstances, or a couple 
of pigeons, if she was poor. All this was exactly performed 
after the birth of our Saviour, who came to fulfil all right- 
eousness ; and was willing, in all particulars of his life, that 
a just obedience should be paid to the public ordinances of 
religion." 

This feast is of considerable antiquity in the Church. St. 
Chrysostom mentions it as celebrated at his time in the 
Church. 

"Purify ourselves." A scriptural expression incorpo- 
rated into the Collect for the 6th Sunday after Epiphany. 



394 RAT 

We are taught by St. John, that " every man that hath this 
hope in him, purifieth himself, even as he is pure." 1 John, 
iii. 8. " The Church the) efore prays," remarks Dr. Bennet, 
" that we may purify ourselves, even as our Saviour Christ is 
pure ; that is, may endeavour, as far as our frail nature will 
allow us, to imitate his purity." 



ft- 

Quadragesima. A name formerly given to the first Sun- 
day in Lent, from the fact of its being forty days before 
Easter. 

" Quick." Living. See the Apostles' and Nicene 
Creeds ; " — he shall come to judge the quick and the dead." 
Also, Acts, X. 42, and 2 Timothy, iv. 1. Bishop Jewel, 
speaking of the persecutions of the early Christians, remarks, 
that they were " cast to wild beasts, burned, and great fires 
were made of their quick [living] bodies, for the only pur- 
pose to give light by night," &c.* 

QuixVQUAGESiMA. See Septuagesima. 



R. 

Ratification. In the Prayer-book, the act of confirming 
and sanctioning something previously done by another, as in 
assuming the obligations of baptism at the reception of Con- 
firmation. 



Apology, p. 11. 



REA 395 

Readers. An order of men in the ancient Church, who 
were permitted to assist in pubHc worship, by reading some 
of the scriptural portions of the service. See Inferior 
Orders. 

At the present day, the title is given to those laymen who 
are allowed, in the absence of a clergyman, to conduct the 
public services of the Church. See Lay Reader, 

Reading Pew. See Desk. 

" Real Presence." A term used to denote the presence 
of Christ in the Eucharist, or Communion of his body and 
blood. In the Romish Church, this is declared to be, not 
only the presence of the divinity, but of the actual human 
body of Christ — the very body in which he ascended into 
heaven. In the Protestant Episcopal Church, while the 
" real presence " is undoubtedly held, yet it is considered as 
of a spiritual and heavenly character. The Homily on the* 
Sacrament expressly asserts, " Thus much we must be sure 
to hold, that in the supper of the Lord there is no vain cere- 
mony, no bare sign, no untrue figure of a thing absent ; — but 
the Communion of the Body and Blood of the Lord in a mar- 
vellous incorporation, which by the operation of the Holy 
Ghost, is through Faith wrought in the souls of the faithful," 
dec. In the Office of the Communion, the elements are re- 
peatedly designated as the body and blood of Christ ; and 
after their reception we give thanks, that God " dost vouch- 
safe to feed us who have duly received these holy Mysteries, 
with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood 
of [his] Son our Saviour Jesus Christ." The Catechism, in 
agreement with this, defines the " inward part " of this sacra- 
ment to be " The Body and Blood of Christ, which are spi- 
ritually* taken and received by the faithful in the Lord*s 
Supper." 



♦ In the English Prayer-book, instead of •' spiritually," we read 
verily and indeed." 



396 REC 

The 28th Article asserts, respecting the Eucharist, that 
" to such as rightly, worthily, and with faith receive the same, 
the Bread which we break is a partaking of the Body of 
Christ ; and likewise the Cup of Blessing is a partaking of 
the Blood of Christ." 

By maintaining this view, the Church supports the dignity 
of this holy sacrament, without involving the dogma of tran- 
substantiation, which she every where repudiates, — asserting 
that it " cannot be proved by Holy Writ, but it is repugnant 
to the plain words of Scripture, overthroweth the nature of a 
Sacrament, and hath given occasion to many Superstitions." 
Instead of this, i. e., a corporal presence by the change of 
the elements into the natural body and blood of Christ, she 
goes on to assert that, " The Body of Christ is given, taken, 
and eaten in the Supper, only after an heavenly and spiritual 
manner. And the mean whereby the Body of Christ is re- 
ceived and eaten in the Supper, is Faith."* 

"Reasonable." See the Prayer in the Visitation of the 
Sick: "O God, whose days are without end," &c. The 
word occurs in the following connection: "that we maybe 
gathered unto our fathers, ***** in the comfort of a 
Teaso7iable, religious, and holy hope," &c., i. e. a hope 
justified by sound reason acting on the promises of God, com- 
bined with a consciousness of true penitence, and faith in 
Christ. 

^ Rebaptizing. a word employed, for want of a better, to 
denote the administration of baptism by a lawful Minister, to 
those who at some previous time have been invalidly baptized 
by heretics, schismatics, or laymen. 

"Receive the Holy Ghost." This solemn form of 
words is used in the act of conferring the orders of Priests 
and Bishops. Having been originally used by our Lord 
when he commissioned his Apostles, it has been retained by 

* Article XXVIII. 



REc 397 

the Church as the most proper and authoritative form in 
which the powers of the Christian priesthood can be con- 
veyed. That the Church is vindicated in employing them at 
the consecration of Bishops, is manifest from the fact, that the 
ministerial powers of the office are identically the same with 
those held by the Apostles, and if given at all, they must 
proceed from the same source, — i. e., the Holy Ghost. In the 
ordination of priests, the same principle will apply. These, 
under the designation of presbyters or elders, also received 
their authority from this divine source, notwithstanding that 
there might be one or more intermediate links in the chain of 
transmission. "Take heed," said St. Paul to the elders of 
Ephesus, " unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which 
the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers." If therefore, it 
be granted that the Bishop has the power of ordaining, it fol- 
lows that he stands as an agent betvv'een the heavenly source 
of authority, and the candidate to Avhom that authority is to be 
given, and is qualified to pronounce, "Receive the Holy Ghost 
for the office and work of a Priest [or Bishop] in the Church 
of God," &c. 

Records, parish. The books and papers of a Church, 
which contain a record or account of the history and tem- 
poral business of the Parish. In these books are written, 
from time to time, all such transactions as relate to the elec- 
tion of officers — the purchase or sale, &c. of Church property 
— the erection of buildings — the engaging of Ministers — the 
support of public worship, and other matters connected with 
the temporal affairs of the Church. 

Under the name of "parish records," may also be included 
the Register, containing the Minister's account of baptisms, 
marriages, &c. See Register. 

Rector. A clergyman who has the spiritual care and 
charge of a parish, and has been instituted according to the 
usage of the Church. The title is also given to the principal 
or chief master of a school or seminary of learning. 
34 



398 REG 

REaENERATE. See the next article. 

Regeneration. A term used in Scripture, antiquity, and 
the standards of the Church, to express that change of state, 
which takes place on the reception of the sacrament of bap- 
tism. The general reader will perceive at once a wide dif- 
ference between this use of the word, and- that which obtains 
in many religious bodies, whose numbers have given cur- 
rency to certain peculiarities of expression. The word re- 
generation occurs but twice in the Scriptures. In o-ne case, 
(Matt. xix. 28,) it has no relation to the present subject ; and 
in the other, (Titus iii. 5,) it manifestly refers to baptism. By 
the ancients, and to the present day in Episcopal Churches, 
the scriptural import of the term has been preserved. But 
in many non-episcopal denominations, it has been deprived of 
its original sense, and made to signify conversion, renova- 
tion of heart, or, (according to the Calvinists.) the effect 
of a sudden infusion of "efficacious grace" into the soul ; de- 
stroying at once all necessary connection of ihe term with the 
sacrament of baptism, to w^hicK it was originally confined. 
This unauthorized wresting of a scriptural word, on the part 
of others, has been the occasion of a host of prejudices and 
objections against the Church, as if she were the aggressor ; 
and so much easier is it to rail than to reason, that in all prob- 
ability, the diffrence between regeneration and renovation 
will not be acknowledged, till the objectors are made sensible 
of the trespass they have committed on their mother tongue. 

By regeneration then, the Church means that change of 
spiritual state or condition which invariably takes place in 
lawful baptism. God has two kingdoms, the natural and the 
spiritual — the kingdom of nature, and the kingdom of grace. 
The entrance into the one, is by generation ; the entrance into 
the other, by regeneration. We are "born" into the former- 
we are "born again" into the latter. In the one, are the 
appointed means for physical and intellectual growth ; in the 
other, the covenanted provisions for moral and spiritual ad- 



REGENERATION. 399 

vancement. By birth we are introduced into the world ; by a 
new birth we are incorporated into the Church. Here then 
is a great and evident change of state, and tiie appointed 
means of effecting it, is the sacrament of baptism — the " ]aver 
of regeneration." 

That this is the view of the Church, is easily shown. In 
the Catechism, she speaks of the " inward and spiritual grace" 
of baptism, as "a death unto sin, and a new birth unto right- 
eousness: For being by nature born in sin, and the children 
of wrath, we are hereby made the children of grace." At 
the opening of the baptismal Offices, she intimates the nature 
of this sacrament, in these wo^ds : " Our Saviour Christ saith, 
none can enter into the kingdom of God, except he be re- 
generate and born anew of water and of the Holy Ghost." 
She further prays, "Give thy Holy Spirit to this Infant; [or 
Person ;] that he may be born again, and be made an heir of 
everlasting salvation," &c. Imnipdiately after baptism her 
language changes, and she now declares that "this Child [or 
Person] is regenerate, and grafted into the body of Christ's 
Church," and requires that thanks be given "unto Almighty 
God for these benefits;" which duty is performed in the 
words, "We yield thee hearty thanks, most merciful Father, 
that it hath pleased thee to regenerate this Infant [or Person] 
with thy Holy Spirit, to receive him for thine own child by 
adoption, and to incorporate him into thy holy Church." 

Now all this may seem exceedingly mysterious and hereti- 
cal to those, who are familiar only with the modern and un- 
scriptural sense of the word regeneration. But by adverting 
to the- definition we have already given, every obscurity is 
cleared up at once. The language of the Church is also in 
exact correspondence with that of the New Testament 
throughout. St. Paul, especially, "intimates with clearness," 
remarks Bishop Sumner, " that the Christians he addresses 
were thus regenerate: as having ^ put off the old man with 
its deeds;' and having become 'the temple of the Holy 



400 REGENERATION. 

Ghost,' and 'the members of Christ;' as having the 
^spiritual circumcision, and being buried with Christ m 
baptism;' as having 'received the spirit of adoption^ and 
as 'being washed, sanctified, and justified, in the name of 
the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.' To 
the Galatians, 'bewitched,' as he says they were, 'that 
they should not obpy the truth,' he still writes : ' Ye are 
all the children of God by faith in Christ Jksus. For as 
many of you as have been baptized unto Christ, have put- 
on Christ.' " * 

But while the Church maintains the above sense of the 
term regeneration, is it to be supposed that she rejects that 
doctrine of Scripture to which modern divines and popular 
usage have applied this term? God forbid. Our reformers 
in no case suppose that baptism will be a sure guaranty of 
final salvation, without being accompanied or followed by the 
"renewing of the Holy Ghost." On the contrary, they 
insist, both in the baptismal Offices and throughout the whole 
liturgy, upon the necessity of an entire and radical change, 
both of heart and life. ' No Church in all Christendom pro- 
claims this truth with more firmness and clearness, than that 
which we here vindicate. It is the incessant language of her 
prayers, — the subject of her thanksgivings, — the hurden of 
her discourses, — and the aim and object of all her devout 
members. This putting on of the new man, — this creation 
of the soul in rio-hteousness and true holiness, — is the theme 
of all her pulpits, and the grand characteristic of her services. 
Even in the prayer which follows the act of baptism, the 
doctrine of renovation as distinguished from regeneration, is 
clearly announced. There we pray that the person now re- 
generate, " may crucify the old man, and utterly abolish the 
whole body of sin;" proving that the Church does not re- 
gard this as comprised in the fact of regeneration by bap- 

♦ Apostolical Preaching, p. 91. 



REG 401 

tism. Furthermore, he is to "continually mortify all his 
evil and corrupt affections, and daily proceed in all virtue and 
godliness of living." If then, this be the sense of the Church, 
that regeneration and renovation are not convertible terms, 
but of distinct use and meaning ; and if under the latter term, 
that moral change is understood, which the objector compre- 
hends under the former, we see not how the Church can be 
censured, unless it be for denying her patronage to an abuse 
of words. She holds all Scripture truth, and this too ia 
Scripture language. Instead of being scourged for this, 
should not justice and candor honour her, and impeach the 
accuser? "Let me speak the truth before God," said the 
venerable Simeon. " Though I am no Arminian, I do think 
that the refinements of Calvin have done great harm in the 
Church; they have driven multitudes from the plain and 
popular way of speaking used by the inspired writers, and 
have made them unreasonably and unscriptu rally squeamish 
in their modes of expression." * 

Register. A book kept by the Minister of every Church 
or Parish, in which are recorded the names of persons bap- 
tized, confirmed, married, or buried, with dates, places of re- 
sidence, &c. &;c. Some registers also contain a list of all 
the families and individuals belonging to the parish, with- 
marks opposite each name, to indicate whether they have 
been baptized, and confirmed, and are communicants. 

A complete register, in recording a baptism, states the 
time and place, — the name of the baptized, — with the age ; 
also the names of the parents and sponsors, and of the Min- 
ister officiating. 

In recording a confirmation, the date will be given, with 
the names of the persons, and that of the Bishop, together 
with the place wht-re the confirmation was held. 

For a marriage, the names and residences of the parties 



• On the Excellence of the Liturgy. 
34* 



402 REP 

are usually given ; also the time and place of the marriage, 
and the Minister by whom it was solemnized. 

A record of a burial states the name of the deceased, 
the age, the family to which he belonged, and the Minister 
officiating. 

Rehearse. To repeat or recite. In the Prayer-book it 
is understood to imply distinctness of utterance, in opposi- 
tion to a low or hesitating manner, as in the Catechism, — 
"Rehearse the Articles of thy Belief;" and also in the 
Visitation of the Sick and of Prisoners ; in which the ru- 
brics direct the Minister to " Rehearse the Articles of the 
" Faith," or of " the Creed." Sometimes the word simply im- 
plies saying or reading, as where Latimer remarks in a ser- 
mon, " I will therefore make an end, without any rehearsal 
or recital of that which is already said." 

Religious Houses. In the Romish and other churches, 
abbeys, monasteries, convents, priories, nunneries, &c., in 
which persons are associated together under certain rules, 
and bound by vows to lead a religious life. The abuses 
and corruptions which were encouraged in these establish- 
ments in England, prior to the Reformation, led to their 
dissolution in the reign of Henry VIII. See Abbey. 

Reliques, or Relics. In the Romish Church, fragments 
or remains of the bodies, garments, property, instruments of 
death, &c., of martyrs and saints, preserved in altars and sa- 
cred places, and devoutly reverenced as invested with pecu- 
liar sanctity. Against this practice, amounting in some 
cases to religious homage, the 22d Article is levelled, in 
which the adoration of " reliques " is said to be " a fond 
[foolish] thing, vainly invented, and grounded upon no war- 
ranty of Scripture," &c. 

Renovation. For some remarks on the use of this word 
by the Church, See the latter part of the article Regenera- 
tion. 

Repetitions. An objection has sometimes been made to 



RES 403 

the Liturgy of the Church, as involving vain repetitions and 
an useless prolixity. It should be recollected, however, that 
a repetition is one thing, but a vain repetition quite another. 
For examples of the latter, we refer the reader to the Phari- 
sees and the Mahometans ; for a specimen of the former, to 
the 136th Psalm, and the angelic song, " Holy, holy, holy. 
Lord God Almighty," dec. The repetitions in the Liturgy 
are principally in the cry " have mercy upon us," and in the 
use of the Lord's Prayer twice, or at the most thrice, in our 
longest services, and in the responses in the Litany and the 
decalogue. Now whether prayer be defeated by importunity, 
and importunity by the reiteration of its plaint in the same 
precise words, let Scripture and good sense decide. Our 
Blessed Saviour prayed thrice in Gelhsemane, " saying the 
same words,^^ Matt. xxvi. 44, an example which the objector, 
of course, would not imitate. The petitions which we ad- 
dress to heaven, must, for the most part, have the same gene- 
ral drift. What advantage, then, is there in arranging them 
in a perpetually changing dress ? Will they be better re- 
ceived for the sake of their novelty ? Or is it a crime to 
prefer the Redeemer's words to our own ? We had supposed 
that, at God's throne, fervency of spirit would be more re- 
garded than variety of language ; and such a spirit will 
generally find its expression, (as in cases of temporal sorrow,) 
in short and broken sentences, oft repeated, and with little 
fear of their being rejected as vain repetitions. Our reform- 
ers, God be thanked, knew well what was the language of a 
broken heart. Had it been otherwise, the Prayer-book might 
indeed have been a text-book in rhetoric, and nothing more ; 
but as it is, by transfusing into it the pious aspirations of all 
antiquity, they have made it not only a model of devotion, 
but also a standard of literary elegance. 

" Reserved." In the 28th Article it is declared, that 
" The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was not by Christ's 
Ordinance reserved, carried about," &c. This is aimed 



404 RES 

against a common practice in the Romish Church, of keep- 
ing or reserving " part of the consecrated bread, for the pur- 
pose of giving it to the sick, or other absent persons, at some 
future time."* 

Resident. See Canonically Resident. 

Responds. A word which should not be confounded with 
responses. It was used in the ancient Church to denote cer- 
tain short hymns or anthems, which it was customary to in- 
troduce into the middle or in the progress of the reading of 
chapters of Scripture, the reading being for the time sus- 
pended. These were denominated " Short Responds." The 
" Long Respond," was that which was sung at the close of 
the Lessons. 

Response. In the Church service, an answer made by the 
people, speaking alternately with the Minister. The use of 
responses is not to be viewed as a mere incidental peculiarity 
of liturgical services, but rather as a fundamental character- 
istic of divine worship. Responses were not made for litur- 
gies, but liturgies for responses. Many of the Psalms are 
constructed on the responsive model, because this was a prior 
trait of the worship of the sanctuary ; and it is an error to 
suppose that responses were introduced because these Psalms 
happened to be in alternate verses. God's worship is an act 
in which both minister and people are concerned. This 
worship the Church requires to be both mental and vocal, 
and has ordered her ritual accordingly, — not degrading the 
priest to a proxy, nor the congregation to an audience, but 
providing for supplications and thanksgivings, which, like 
herself, shall be strong because united. It should be deemed 
a high privilege by the Churchman, that he is permitted to 
lift up his voice in prayer, as well as in praise, " in the con- 
gregation of the saints ;" — that he may openly profess his 
confidence in the Father of all, and his trust in the " Lamb 

♦ Bishop Tomline. 



REV 405 

of God, who taketh away the sin of the world ;" that he 
may join aloud in the " solemn Litany," and cry for grace 
whereby he may keep God's holy law for the time to come. 
In ages past, the privilege was prized. Men were not ashamed 
in primitive days, to confess Christ before the world, and, as 
it were, to rend the heavens with their fervent appeals. Nei- 
ther was it by an ecclesiastical fiction, but in solemn reality, 
that they sung, " Therefore with angels and archangels, and 
with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy 
GLORIOUS NAME." May the time come when such devotion 
shall again adorn the " spacious courts " of Zion ; when 
the vague murmur of confession, and the languid tones of 
penitence, the silent Creed, and ihe smothered prayer, shall 
give place to the earnest and nervous expression of spiritual 
concern, and the animating testimony of devout gratitude ! 

Reverend, or, by abbreviation, Rev. . A title generally 
given to all classes of Ministers, though more strictly only to 
Prtisbylers and Deacons. 

', " Reverend estimation." The Preface to the Ordinal 
asserts, that the offices of Bishop, Priest, and Deacon, '* were 
evermore had in such reverend estimation, that no man might 
presume to execute any of them, except he were : * - * * 
admitted thereunto by the lawful authority." This follows 
after a plain declaration that those three Orders of the Min- 
istry are found in Scripture, and were continued in the Church 
of subsequent ages. The Ministry claims this sacred regard, 
or " reverend estimation," not only in respect of the high and 
heavenly purposes for which it was instituted, aad the solem- 
nity attaching to all its duties ; but (in the present reference) 
especially on account of the source from which its powers 
are derived. The Ordinal unquestionably states this to be 
divine or inspired authority. These " Orders of Ministers 
in Christ's Church," have been " from the Apostles' time," 
and in "holy Scripture" they are " evident unto all men ;" 
that is to say, to all men candidly and " diligently reading " 



408 KIN 

the Scripture. It is also declared, that " divers Orders of 
Ministers " were appointed in the Church by " Almighty 
God ;" to which might be added many other explicit state- 
ments of the Church. It is not to be wondered at, therefore, 
that the Christian Priesthood should, more than once, be 
called a " high dignity,"* and still more frequently by other 
terms implying a recognition of its lofty original. In this 
there is nothing approaching to arrogance, assumption, or 
superstition ; but on the contrary, only that reasonable and 
moderate claim to veneration, which arises from the very 
nature of the thing, and without which, the proper and legit- 
imate influence of the Ministry must be circumscribed, if not 
altogether subverted and destroyed. 

Right Reverend, or, abbreviated, Rt. Rev. The title 
prefixed to the name of a Bishop. It is never applied to the 
inferior orders of the Ministry. 

Ring, in Matrimony. Immediately after the mutual pro- 
mises or stipulations in the Offir^e of Matrimony, the very 
ancient ceremony occurs, of placing a ring on the finger of 
the woman. The object of this is stated in the prayer fol- 
lowing, to be " a token and pledge " of the vow and cove- 
nant just made by the parties. Ritualists have supposed that 
the ring was also a pledge or earnest of that honorable main- 
tenance and participation in " worldly goods," which are pro- 
mised in that part of the Office where the ceremony takes 
place. It has also been considered as a sign or seal of the 
admittance of the wife to " the nearest friendship and highest 
trust" which it was in the husband's power to give. It is 
probable that there is weight in all these opinions, though the 

*" Ye have heart! * * * of what high dignity, and of how great 
importance this office is." " We exhort you in the name of our Lord 
Jesus Christ, that ye have in remembrance, into how high a dignity, and 
to how v/eighty an office and charge ye are called." " to show your- 
selves dutiful and thankful unto that Lord who hath placed you in so high 
a dignity.'' Exhortation in the " Ordering of Priests.'' 



RIP 407 

former seems to be the prominent one in the view of the 
Church. 

A muhitude of analogies and figurative applications have 
sprung from the ceremony of the ring, some of which are 
thus stated by Dean Comber and Wheatly. " The matter of 
which this ring is made, is gold, to signify how noble and 
durable our affection is : the form is round, to imply that our 
respect shall never have an end : the place of it is on the 
fourth finger of the left hand, where the ancients thought was 
a vein which came directly from the heart, and where it may 
be always in view : and being a finger least used, where it 
may be least subject to be worn out. But the main end is to 
be a visible and lasting token and remembrance of this cove- 
nant, which must never be forgotten ; and if in ordinary bar- 
gains we have some lasting thing delivered as an earnest or 
pledge and memorial, much more is it needful here : and to 
scruple a thing so prudent and well designed, so anciently 
and universally used, does not deserve our serious confu- 
tation." 

" Riper Years." In one of the Offices for Baptism, 
this phrase is used to designate those who are beyond the 
age of children, and " able to answer for themselves." 
This definition is not only that given by the Church, but is 
implied in the words themselves, which embrace both adults, 
and those in age between them and children.* 

For the time and occasion on which this Office of Baptism 
was introduced. See Anabaptist. 

In the Ordinal we have a few cases in which this and kin- 
dred terms are used. As in the Exhortation in the " Order- 
ing of Priests " — thus, " that by daily reading and weighing 
the Scriptures, ye may wax riper and stronger in your min- 
istry," — i. e., may become more perfect, mature, and expe- 
rienced in divine wisdom and the qualifications of the minis- 

♦ Unripe, riper, ripe. 



/ 

408 ROG 

terial office. As the result of this, the Bishop urges upon 
the Candidate, that he should never cease his labour till he 
has brought his flock " to that ripeness a.nd perfectness of age 
in Christ, that there be no place left among [them,] either for 
error in religion, or for viciousness in life." 

Rite. A solemn external form or ceremony of religion. 
Ritual, a. Relating to the rites and ceremonies of di- 
vine service, as in the phrase " ritual observances." 

Ritual, n. A book or manual in which is given the order 
and forms to be observed in the celebration of divine service, 
the administration of the sacraments, and, in general, all 
matters connected with external order in the performance of 
sacred offices. 

Robes. In general, the ecclesiastical garments worn by 
the Clergy when performing the offices of the Church. More 
strictly, the black gown, and the dress worn by a Bishop. 
See Clerical Garments. 

Rochet. A linen garment worn by Bishops under the 
robe to which the lawn sleeves are attached. At the Conse- 
cration of a Bishop, the rubric appoints that the Bishop elect 
shall be presented, " vested with his Rochet ;" the rest of the 
Episcopal Habit, or robes, not being put on till a future part 
of the service. 

Rogation Days. So called from "rogare" to beseech. 
They are the three days immediately before the festival of 
Ascension. 

These Litanic or Rogation days were first instituted by 
Mamertus, Bishop of Vienna, in the fifth century. Mamer- 
tus was not the originator of litanical supplications, but he 
was the institutor of the Rogation fast, and the first who ap- 
plied the use of Litanies to the Rogation days. The chant- 
ing of litanies on these days, accompanied with public pro- 
cessions, continued till the era of the Reformation. In the 
Episcopal Church it has been thought fit to continue the ob- 
servance of these days as private fasts. There is no office, 



RUB 409 

or order of prayer, or even single Collect appointed for the 
Rogation days in the Prayer-book ; but among the homilies 
recommended by our General Convention, there is one de- 
signed for the improvement of these days. The requisitions 
of the Church are " abstinence," and " extraordinary acts 
and exercises of devotion." 

Rogation Sunday. The Sunday before the festival of the 
Ascension. Its name has reference to the three davs imme- 
diately following, which are called Rogation days. See the 
above article. 

" Rose again." See the Nicene Creed. The word 
" again " is here used, not in the sense of repetition, or doing 
an act a second time, but in agreement with popular usage 
and the practice of the best English writers from the 16th 
century downwards. Whatever may be said about the re- 
dundancy of the word, a good ear will never fail to observe 
a stronger meaning in the phrase, " he was buried, and the 
third day he rose again,'''' than in the form, " the third day he 
rose from the dead." The "again" refers to a previous act 
not always of the same kind, as in the words, " he shall come 
again, with glory, to judge both the quick and the dead," — 
that is, he shall return for this purpose, — not that he has 
already done this act, hereafter to be repeated. So with the 
scriptural phrase, " he shall rise again,'''' from which the 
Church derives authority for the use of the word. Here the 
reference is to the preceding circumstance of his interment ; 
— he shall be buried ; but again, or after this, he shall rise 
from the dead. 

Rubrics. The directions scattered through the Prayer- 
book relative to the manner in which the various parts of the 
Liturgy should be performed. 

These rules or directions about the service are called ^m- 

hrics, from the Latin word ruber, meaning red, because in 

ancient times it was the custom to print them in red ink, so 

that they might easily be distinguished from the service itself, 

35 



410 SAB 

which was printed in Mack ink, and with a different kind of 
type or letter. 

The name of Rubric has still been retained in our Prayer, 
books, though the use of red ink has been mostly laid aside. 
An edition has recently been issued by the Protestant Epis- 
copal Press, New-York, in which the Rubrics appear in their 
original colour. 

Rubrical. According to the Rubric. 



s« 



S. An abbreviation for " Saint." S. S. The plural, 
" Saints." 

Sabbath. Properly the seventh day of the week, or Sa- 
turday, but by modern usage applied to the Lord's day, with 
the addition of the epithet " Christian." For several ages 
after the Apostles, the Sabbath was regularly observed in the 
Eastern Church as a festival, and services were held as on 
the Lord's day. In the Western Church it was usually ob- 
served as a fast, though in this there was some variation. 
The keeping of this day was probably designed, in the first 
instance, as an innocent concession to the prejudices of the 
Jewish converts ; but as a matter of obligation, it does not 
appear to have been recognized as equal to the Lord's' day. 
Even respecting the converted Jews, Ignatius remarks, that 
" they who were brought up in these ancient laws, [the Jew- 
ish,] have come to the newness of hope, no longer observing 
sabbaths, but keeping the Lord's day." 

Sabaoth. See the Te Deum, verse 5 : — " Holy, holy, 
holy, Lord God of Sahaoth." 

The word Sabaoth, though a Hebrew expression, is re- 
tained in our Liturgy. " This term," it is remarked by Her- 



SAC 411 

vey, " some people, I am inclined to believe, inadvertently 
confound with Sabbath. The latter signifies the Rest of the 
seventh day ; and, in this connection, yields a sense not very 
apposite, and comparatively mean. Whereas the former 
[Sabaoth] denotes Armies or Hosts, and furnishes us with an 
image, truly grand and majestic, worthy to be admitted into 
the songs of Seraphs. It glorifies God, as the great, univer- 
sal, uncontrollable Sovereign ; who exercises a supreme do- 
minion over all the orders of being, from the loftiest Arch- 
angel that shines in heaven, to the lowest reptile that crawls 
in dust. Who says to a legion of Cherubs, Go, and they go : 
to a swarm of insects, Come, and they come : to any, to 
every creature, do this, and they do it." 

Sacrament. An outward act, sign, or ceremony, instituted 
by Christ himself, as a vehicle of spiritual grace. The 25th 
Article defines sacraments to be " not only badges or tokens 
of Christian men's Profession ; but rather they be certain sure 
witnesses, and effectual signs of grace, and God's good will 
towards us, by the which he doth work invisibly in us, and 
doth not only quicken, but also strengthen and confirm our 
faith in him." 

The Episcopal Church acknowledges two Sacraments as 
ordained by our Lord, viz., — Baptism and the Lord's Sup- 
per. In each of these are two essential parts, — the element 
and the word of institution* The element in baptism is water* 
In the Lord's Supper, the elements are bread and wine. In 
the first, the words are those which affirm the baptism to be 
" in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
Ghost." In the leist, they are comprised in the forms set 
forth by the Church, and drawn from the original institution 
of the sacrament. 

In the Church of Rome, Confirmation, Penance, Orders, 
Matrimony, and Extreme Unction, are also accounted sacra- 
ments. And admitting the definition of a sacrament, as used 



412 &AC 

by that Church, together with the latitude in which the term 
was sometimes used by ancient writers, they only err in fix- 
ing the number at seven, when the same authorities might 
include at the least a dozen more. " Tertullian," remarks 
Bishop Jewell, " calleth the helve, wherewith Elisha recov- 
ered the axe out of the water, the ^sacrament of wood ;^ and 
the whole state of the Christian faith he calleth ' the sacra- 
ment of the Christian religion.' St. Augustine, in many 
places, hath 'the sacratnent of the cross.' Thus he saith, 
* in this figure, or form of the cross, there is contained a sa- 
crament.' St. Jerome saith, • out of Christ's side the sacra- 
ments of baptism and martyrdom are poured forth both to- 
gether.' Leo calleth the promise of virginity, a sacrament. 
St. Hilary, in sundry places, saith, — ' The sacrament of 
prayer, — of fasting, — oHhe Scriptures, — oi weeping, — oUhirst.' 
St. Bernard calleth the washing of the Apostles' feet a sacra- 
ment." But yet these same writers made an evident dis- 
tinction between the two divinely appointed sacraments of 
the Church, and those ordinary things to which, by a figure* 
they extended the term. This will sufficiently vindicate the 
Church in her assertion that Confirmation, Penance, &c. 
" are not to be counted for Sacraments of the Gospel," inas- 
much as they have come to be so esteemed only through 
"the corrupt following of the Apostles," some of them being 
merely states of life allowed by the Scriptures, but not of 
" like nature of Sacraments." See " Corrupt following." 

Sacramentary. In the Romish Church, a book contain- 
ing the Collects, together with the Canon, i. e., that part of the 
Communion office which was invariable, whatever changes 
might occur in the other portions of the service. 

Sacrifice. See Priest. 

Sacrilege. The act of violating or subjecting sacred 
things to profanation ; or the desecration of objects conse- 
crated to God. Thus, the robbing of churches or of graves, . 



SAY 413 

the abuse of sacred vessels and altars by employing them for 
unhallowed purposes, the plundering and misappropriation of 
alms and donations, &c., are acts of sacrilege, which in the 
ancient Church were punished with great severity. 

Saints' Days. See Holy Days. 

Say. The frequent occurrence of this word in the rubrics 
of the Prayer-book, has not unfrequently been made use of as 
the basis of an objection against the spirituality of our wor- 
ship. " Then shall the Minister say ;" — " The following 
shall be said or sung ;" — " Here the People shall say ;" — and 
many similar directions, are found in every part of the 
Liturgy. But surely, an ingenuous mind will not hence 
conclude, that, for this reason, our prayers and praises may 
satisfy the requirements of the Church, though offered without 
strong devotional feeling. In a prescribed form, some such 
phrases must be used ; but in all such cases it is with the full 
understanding that our confessions of sin, our prayers for di- 
vine mercy, and our praises for God's unnumbered acts of 
goodness, shall be accompanied with that disposition of mind 
which will render them acceptable with God. Hence, in an 
early part of the service, the Minister invites the people to 
accompany him, " with a pure heart and humble voice, unto 
the throne of the heavenly grace." And in every part of 
the service, the Church expects, nay, even requires us to 
appear before God with that deep contrition of soul which 
becomes the penitent, and that holy joy which should charac- 
terize the children of God. 

Any objection, therefore, m^tde to the Prayer-book on this 
account, will equally lie against the Holy Scriptures. Our 
Lord, in teaching his disciples, said, — " when ye pray, say^ 
Our Father," &c. And it is recorded of the poor publican 
that " he smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to, 
me a sinner." In these, and a thousand other cases, the 
presence of strong devotion of spirit is implied ; and a clearer 
testimony of the views of the Church need not be offered 
35* 



414 scH 

than in her own prayer, " give us that due sense of all thy 
mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful, and 
that we may show forth thy praise, not only with our lipsj 
but in our lives^^ (fee. 
Scarf. See Clerical garments. 

Schism. A rent or breach of unity in the Church, repro- 
bated in Scripture as a sin of great magnitude. 

The Church as originally established was unquestionably 
one iody, and only one ; and is so described in every part of 
the New Testament. There was " one Lord, one Faith, one 
Baptism;" — all were to " speak the same thing," and to be 
" perfectly joined together, in the same mind, and in the same 
judgment." 1 Cor. i. 9, 10. There were, consequently, to 
be " no divisions " among the brethren, — " no schism" was to 
be seen in the body ; but all were to " have the same care one 
for another." 1 Cor. xii. 25. See Unity. It seems, however, 
that in the Church of Corinth, during the Apostle's absence, 
a disposition the reverse of this was shown ; and an attempt 
made to get up religious denominations, not exactly resem- 
bling those of the present day, for each party sought to rally 
around an Apostle or lawful ecclesiastic, instead of separat- 
ing altogether from the Church, and erecting a new ministry ; 
and yet, even under these palliating circumstances, the Apos- 
tie rebukes them sharply, inquiring, — " Is Christ divided ? — 
was Paul crucified for you? — or were ye baptized in the 
name of Paul ?" " Why, then," we might suppose him to add, 
" are ye already daring to rend that sacred body of which ye 
are members, the health of which is in its unity ; and, taking 
pattern from the sects of heathen philosophers and their op. 
posing schools, are contending that ye are of Paul, or of 
Apollos, or of Cephas, while but one faithful band adhere 
to Christ ? Truly, ye are yet following those carnal affec- 
tions from which I trusted that the Spirit of Christ had de- 
livered you. For whereas there is among you envying, and 
strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men ? 



SCHISM. 415 

For while one saith, I am of Paul ; and anotlier of Apollos ; 
are ye not carnal, and walk as men, — as heathen men 
rather than Christian converts ? What will ye ] shall I come 
unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meek- 
ness?" After this, the Apostle proceeds, in the latter part 
of the Epistle, (1 Cor.,) to lay down the constitution of the 
Church in terms so strong, and so demonstrative of its owe- 
ness or unity, that all apology even for their imperfect 
schism is destroyed at once, while the Apostle's principles 
apply a fortiori to future dissensions of a more absolute form. 
But this was not the only case in which the Apostle Paul, 
under the guidance of the Holy Ghost, declared himself on 
the subjects of unity and schism. The Corinthian Church 
was not alone in its tendency to insubordination, for the craft 
and subtilty both of men and of worse beings were to be 
apprehended and guarded against in every portion of the 
Church. Schism, like inflammation, is a disease incident to all 
climates. The Apostles foresaw this, and accordingly threw 
into their epistles both preventives and antidotes. With 
them, unity was all-essential, not only for the outward peace 
of the Church, but for its spiritual health: and more than all, 
it was demanded by the sovereign authority of God himself. 
In writing, therefore, to the Romans, Paul says: "I beseech 
you, brethren, mark them tvhich cause divisions and offences 
contrary to the doctrine which ye have received : and avoid 
them. For they that are such, serve not our Lord Jesus 
Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair 
speeches, deceive the hearts of the simple." (xvi. 17, 18.) 
He exhorts the Ephesians to " keep the unity of the spirit, 
in the bond of peace. For there is one body (one Church) 
and one spirit." They were not to be "tossed to and fro, 
and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight 
of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to 
deceive;" but to come "in the unity of the faith, and of the 
knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, (a Church 



416 SCHISM. 

perfect in all its parts, and undivided,) unto the measure of 
the stature of the fulness of Christ." With precisely the 
same views, and in much more vehement language, we find 
St. Peter, St. John, and St. Jude, warning the Christian 
Churches against the intrusion of schism and its teachers. 
And in the instructions to the Clergy, as in the Epistles to 
Timothy and Titus, the preservation of unity is repeatedly 
insisted on, it being charged on some who needed the admo- 
nition, that they should teach " no other doctrine " than that 
originally delivered. 

Such was the horror with which the Apostles looked upon 
schism in the Lord's body — the Church. And their inspired 
pens sufficiently reveal to us the mind of God respecting the 
same grievous offence. . We might here advert, if we had 
room, to those cases in the Old Testament, which illustrate 
the dealings of the Almighty with those who wantonly trifled 
with the unity of his Church. The signal punishment of 
Korah and his company for this crime, will be recollected by 
the reader ; and the example there given, in the stern indig- 
nation of God against spiritual rebellion, is one which has a 
moral for later times. The present disordered and disunited 
state of the Christian world, is an anomaly in the history of 
i"*evelation, over which an impartial reader of the New Tes- 
tament can do little but weep and tremble. While the names 
of heresy and schism are cast into the shade, the reality of 
both has afflicted the Church with evils too obstinate and in- 
veterate to be easily removed. Schism is now accounted no 
crime, but next of kin to a virtue ; and the formation of a 
new religious sect, falsely called a C/mrci^, is a thing of every 
day occurrence, though branded with criminality by the high- 
est inspired authority. We will not ask for the legal power 
by which this is done, but would solemnly and in the fear of 
God inquire — Whence does any man professing Christianity 
derive the right of separating from Christ's holy, catholic, 
and apostolic Church, or of remaining in a state of disunion 



SCHISM. 417 

with it ? Sure we are that the liberty wherewith Christ has 
made us free, never proceeded to this length ; for that liberty 
acknowledges a law, without which true liberty cannot exist ; 
and by that law — the law of the gospel, separation from 
Christ's Church is denounced as a flagrant crime. When 
Luther, Calvin, and others, sowed the first seeds of the la • 
mentable schisms now existing, it is matter of fact that their 
hatred of Romanism drove them into measures, which, under 
the colour also of a fancied necessity, led them to found reli- 
gious societies really external to the Church, because destitute 
of that succession of ministerial authorit}'', without which there 
can be no Church. But, granting the existence of such a 
necessity, the schism ought to have been healed at the earli- 
est opportunity ; and such an opportunity should have been 
eagerly sought. Was this done 1 No ; but instead of it — 
instead of these parties uniting themselves with the legally 
constituted branches of the Church in their vicinity, they as- 
sumed an independent attitude, and gave birth to other organ- 
izations, which, by the lapse of time, learned to contemn the 
very Churches in which the purity of the gospel and the 
rightful ministerial authority had been preserved at the Ref- 
ormation. The Continental reformers had not the gift of 
prophecy, nor could they foresee whereunto their measures 
might grow. Had it been otherwise, we have charity enough 
to believe, that sooner than proceed they would have given 
their bodies to be burned, or prayed that their tongues might 
cleave to the roof of their mouths. This is not saying too 
much. Little did those men think that the societies they 
turned loose upon the world, would in 250 years become the 
hotbeds of heresy and the strongholds of Rationalism. Lit- 
tle did they think that they were paving the way for the 
preaching of a scarcely disguised infidelity, in their very 
pulpits, and over their very bibles. Such are the natural 
results of schism : having no conservative principles, its 
faith, however pure at the first, invariably deteriorates, and 



418 SCHISM. 

proceeds step by step along the descent of error, till it finally 
settles in the depths of avowed heresy. We need not cross 
the Atlantic to see the process in full operation. On the 
very shores w^here the pilgrim fathers set up their rigid ortho- 
doxy, and sought to enforce it even by temporal penalties 
and punishments, as well as by a determined carrying of it 
out in their pastoral instructions, we see erected the standard 
of Unitarianism — we find a thorough annihilation of Puritan 
doctrine in the great mass of the public mind — we hear the 
divinity of the Saviour contemned — and in the highest seats 
of theology, the folly of transcendentalism publicly avowed 
and defended. 

It will be perceived that what we have here written has had 
relation to schism as a separation from the Church Catholic, 
but with more immediate allusion to it as a breach of unity 
with our own branch of that Church. At this point comes in 
the objection of the Romanist, that in declaiming against 
schism, we are self-condemned, having ourselves committed 
that crime by departing from communion with Rome at the 
period of the Reformation. In reply to this, we have a fact 
to state, and a question to ask. It is undeniable, that before 
Britain knew any connection with the Church of Rome, she 
had already the Christian religion, with the apostolic ministry 
in full exercise ; and it is contended by many, with no trifling 
force, that the gospel was first planted there by St. Paul him- 
self. Not to insist on this, the fact is clear that the Church 
was in existence in England before the mission of Austin, or 
the time when the Romish power was introduced. This be- 
ing the case, we inquire whether the mission of Austin and 
his forty monks, and their interference with the existing eccle- 
siastical jurisdiction, was not on their part an act of schism — - 
a trespass on the order, discipline, and prerogatives of a 
Church, to meddle with which they had no shadow of right, 
under the cij'cumstances of the case ? What if the matter had 
been reversed, and a British mission had been intruded into 



scH 419 

the diocese of Rome ? This would have been a parallel case ; 
but its condemnation as an act of schism, would have been 
instant and certain. We are willing, nay desirous, to give 
all credit to the pious motives of Gregory and his missiona- 
ries ; but when it is considered that Austin invaded an eccle- 
siastical territory having at least seven lawful Bishops, — that 
these Bishops had heretofore been independent, acknowledg- 
ing no foreign superior, — that they explicitly made known to 
Austin, that " they owed no other obedience to the Pope of 
Rome, than they did to every godly Christian," &c., and 
that "they were under the government of the Bishop of 
Caer-Leon upon Uske, who was their overseer under 
God ;" — when we learn that this independence had been 
maintained for 600 years before, and that it was only broken 
up by force, and long continued contests, — we say, consider, 
ing these things, the introduction of Romanism into England 
was manifestly a schismatical intrusion, from which the 
British Church had a legal right to relieve itself so soon as a 
fit opportunity offered. By pursuing the history of the 
English Church, it will be seen that she always regarded the 
power of the popes as an usurpation on her rights, and cen- 
tury after century did she struggle to shake off the manacles 
which bound her. At the Reformation this was effectually 
accomplished ; and after a bondage of 900 years, the original 
independence of the Church of England was restored. Where 
then lay the charge of schism 1 On the British Church, or on 
a foreign power which trampled on her jurisdiction, till by the 
Providence of God, she was strengthened to expel it, and 
assert her lawful rights ? 

Schismatic. One who voluntarily separates himself 
from the Church, or is attached to a schismatical sect or 
party. 

" ScHOOL-AUTHORS," or ScHOOL-MEN. A designation of 
a race of writers who, between the tenth and fifteenth cen- 
turies, pursued the study of theology in a mode peculiar to 



420 SEL 

themselves, by the employment of academical disputations, 
and abstruse reasonings, rather than by following the course 
already laid down in the works of the Fathers. The system 
thus pursued obtained the name of scholastic divinity, or the 
theology of the schools. Whatever may be thought of the 
dogmas maintained by the school-men, and the conclusions 
at which they arrived on the most remote and hazardous 
questions, it will nevertheless be granted that their patience, 
acuteness, and indefatigable industry, will ever remain " a 
mighty monument of the utmost which the mind of man can 
accomplish in the field of abstraction." Among the " School- 
authors " are numbered Thomas Aquinas, Duns Scotus, 
Durandus, &c. A reference to one of their opinions is made 
in Article XIII. 

Scriptures, Reading of. See Lessons. 

Sect. A religious party, generally composed of those 
who refuse communion with the Church, and are therefore 
either heretical in their doctrine, or schismatical in their 
ecclesiastical relations, or guilty of both these crimes in 
union. 

Sectarian. Pertaining to a sect, as, ^^ sectarian opin- 
ions,'''' — the opinions maintained by those attached to a sect, — 
" sectarian spirit," that temper of mind which instead of be- 
ing catholic, expansive, and benevolent, is limited to the sus- 
taining of the peculiar views of the party to which it is 
pledged. 

Secular Clergy. In the Romish Church, those who arc 
not connected with a monastery or other religious house. 
These latter are denominated " regular," — in contradistinc- 
tion to "secular." 

See. a Bishop's See is his Diocese, or that portion of 
the Church over which he has the spiritual jurisdiction and 
oversight. See Diocese, and Bishop. 

Selections. The Psalter or book of Psalms, as it stands 
in the Prayer-book, is divided into sixty portions, agreeing 



SEN 421 

with the average number of mornings and evenings in the 
month ; and at each regular service, that portion is usually read, 
which corresponds with the day of the month. But there are 
also, for the sake of variety, &c., ten Selections of Psalms, any 
one of which may be used instead. of the regular Psalms of 
the day. These Selections are prefixed to the Psalter, each 
of them consisting of one or more Psalms, chiefly on the 
same subject, with some slight variation. 

The 1st Selection, is on the Majesty and Greatness of God, 
and his tender compassion to the children of men. 

II. On God as an all-seeing Judge, knowing whereof we 
are made, reading our secret thoughts, and, by his Provi- 
dence, ruling all things with goodness and mercy. 

III. On Penitence and trust in God. 

IV. The contrast between the wicked and the good. 

V. The blessedness of the righteous. 

VI. The Lord, a Refuge to the godly. 

VII. The testimony of the Saints to the faithfulness and 
tender love of God. 

VIII. The happiness and joy of those who wait upon the 
Lord, and attend his courts. 

IX. God, infinite in goodness, and worthy of all praise. 

X. Invitation to all created beings to unite in praising 
God. 

Seminary, Theological. An Institution for the education 
of Candidates for the sacred ministry. Of these there are 
four in the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United 
States, viz., the General Theological Seminary, located at 
New. York, together with those of Virginia, Ohio, and Ken- 
tucky. Efforts are also making for their establishment in 
several other Dioceses, to create facilities for the education 
of native clergy, habituated to climate, and familiar with 
the habits and customs of those among whom their future 
ministrations will be exercised. 

Senior Bishop. In the American Church, the Bishop who 
36 



422 SEN 

is oldest in the order of consecration. The Senior Bishop 
is President of the House of Bishops, and has certain duties 
committed to him by the General Constitution and Canons 
of the Church. The consecration of Bishops is usually 
performed by the Senior Bishop, except in case of infirmity, 
&c. He is also to receive the testimonials of a Bishop elect, 
in case of such election taking place during the recess of the 
General Convention, and to transmit them to all the other 
Bishops for their consent or otherwise. Special General 
Conventions are called by the summons of the Senior Bishop, 
on consent of a majority of all the Bishops ; and the place 
of meeting of any General Convention may be changed by 
the Senior Bishop, " in case there shall be an epidemic dis- 
ease, or any other good cause, to render it necessary." 

In the early 'Conventions of the Church, even when the 
Bishops were few in number, there was found the necessity 
of the presidency of one, as a matter of order and conve- 
nience in the transaction of business. But at that period, 
such was the fear of Episcopal ascendency, that in the Con- 
vention of 1785 a proposal to that effect, though prospective 
only, was rejected. The prejudice, however, was removed 
in the following year. At the Convention of 1789, at which 
time there was a constitutional number of Bishops, the ap- 
iprehended discussions on the subject of precedency, were 
happily averted by Bishop White's influence in placing the 
matter on the ground of seniority in the order of consecra- 
tion. Bishop Seabury thus became President of the House. 
But at the next Convention, in 1792, a different principle was 
adopted, and continued for some time in operation, viz., that 
of giving the presidency by rotation, beginning with the 
north. This scheme was finally given up, and the order 
of seniority established as determining the question of presi- 
dency. 

Seniority. In the Episcopate of the Church in the United 
States, this term is not used in reference to the actual age of 



SEN 423 

a Bishop, but to the fact of his being the oldest of those liv- 
ing, in the order of consecration. 

Sentences. The verses of Scripture which stand at the 
beginning of Morning and Evening Prayer. Before the 
Prayer-book was completed, the Liturgy began with the 
Lord's Prayer, at the place where it now appears. But after 
a time, this beginning was thought to be too sudden and 
abrupt, inasmuch as it gave the people no opportunity before, 
to confess their sins to God, and hear the assurances of his 
mercy to the penitent. In consequence of this, at a review 
of the Liturgy, these sentences or verses of Scripture,* (with 
the Exhortation, Confession, and Absolution,) were appointed 
to be read at the beginning of the service, the Minister having 
liberty to use any one or more of them, as he might judge most 
proper. They are carefully and judiciously selected from 
God's word, with the view " to bring the souls of the congre- 
gation to a spiritual frame, and to prepare them for the great 
duty they are just entering upon."f We are reminded that, 
" The Lord is in his holy Temple," or in the place where we 
have assembled for his worship, and that, before so holy and 
awful a Being, it becomes us and " all the earth " to " keep 
silence." Next, we learn that God's praise shall go up, and 
his name shall be great, " from the rising of the sun, even 
unto the going down of the same ;" that is, in every nation, 
and among all people. And that the worship we render may 
be pure and holy, the next sentence we may turn into a peti- 
tion, and say, " Let the words of my mouth, and the medita- 
tion of my heart, be always acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, 
my strength and my Redeemer." Again : for the instruc- 
tion and encouragement of the feeble-minded, the Sentences 
which follow these are full of consolation, mercy, and love, 
declaring that God is " gracious and merciful, slow to anger, 



* The first three excepted, which have since been added in the Amer- 
ican Prayer-book. t Wheatly. 



424 SEP 

and of great kindness ;" and that the sacrifice he loves is 
that of " a broken and a contrite heart." But if we have 
true sorrow for our offences, we shall humbly confess them 
%o our Heavenly Father ; and therefore we are further re- 
minded that, " if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just 
to forgive us our sins." And this we are admonished to do 
like the poor prodigal son, who, when about to return to his 
father's house, said, " I will arise and go to my father, and 
will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and 
before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son." 

This, then, is the purpose and use of these Sentences with 
which we enter upon the solemn services of the Church ; and 
although not read throughout on any one occasion, yet should 
be felt by every devout worshipper. As we cannot come 
before God acceptably without feeling our own unworthiness, 
and His great love to all who seek him aright, the Church 
does well always to keep in our minds these important truths, 
in order that our prayers may be heard, and our souls re- 
freshed by thus waiting upon God. In the form appointed 
for Thanksgiving day, there are other appropriate Sentences 
provided to be used with some of the above. 

Septuagesima. The Sunday which in round numbers is 
70 days before Easter. Hence the name. 

" There being exactly 50 days between the Sunday next 
before Lent and Easter-day, inclusive, that Sunday is termed 
Quinquagesima, i. e., the 50th. And the two immediately pre- 
ceding are called from the next round numbers, Sexagesima 
and Septuagesima, 60th and 70th. The Church thus early 
begins to look forward to Easter, the queen of festivals. 
She would call back our minds from the rejoicing season of 
Christmas, and, by reflections on the humiliating necessity 
there was for Messiah's advent, prepare us for that solemn 
season of Lent, in which, if with deep contrition and lively 
faith we follow Christ in his sufferings, we may rejoice with 



SEV 



425 



him here, and humbly hope to reign with him hereafter in. 
his glory J*^ 

The observation of these days and the weeks following, 
appears to be as ancient as the time of Gregory the Great. 
Some of the more devout Christians observed the whole time 
from the first of these Sundays to Easter, as a season of 
humiliation and fasting ; though the ordinary custom was to 
commence fasting on Ash Wednesday. 

Seraphic hymn. See Trisagion, 

Sermon. See Preaching. 

"Seven-fold GIFTS." The gifts of the Holy Spirit ; so. 
called from their enumeration in Isaiah xi. 1 — 6. There is 
an allusion to these in the Hymn " Veni, Creator Spiritus,". 
in the Ordinal, thus : — 

Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire, 
And lighten with celestial fire : 
Thou the anointing Spirit art, 
Who dost thy seven-fold gifts impart. 

In a Prayer of the Order of Confirmation, these gifts are 
specified as follows : " daily increase in them thy mani- 
fold gifts of grace ; the spirit of wisdom and understanding, 
the spirit of counsel and ghostly strength, the spirit of know- 
ledge and true godliness ; and fill them, O Lord, with the 
spirit of thy holy year." 

" Severally." Individually, not collectively. In the 
Office for the Baptism of those of riper years, the questions 
proposed by the Minister to the Candidates, are to be " con- 
sidered as addressed to them severally^ and the answers to be 
made accordingly." By this Rubric, every Candidate is ta 
view himself as isolated and alone, — ^^to receive the questions 
as addressed to him personally, and, without regard to any 
one else, to make the appropriate answer. But this does not 
require, on the part of the Minister, a distinct proposing of 
the questions to every individual. This will be evident from 

36* 



426 $HA 

a comparison of the rubric with that of the Enghsh Prayer- 
book. In the latter it is, " Then shall the Priest demand 
of each of the persons to be baptized, severally, these 
questions following." Here a separate repetition of them to 
each person is demanded. In the American rubric, the 
words " each of," are omitted, and the questions once read, 
are to be " considered as addressed to them severally," &c., 
intimating that they are not so, in point of fact. 

In the Order of confirmation tliere is a rubric somewhat 
analogous. The Candidates "kneeling before the Bishop, 
he shall lay his hands upon the head of every one severally, 
saying," &c. In this there is a double intention. 1st. To 
secure to this ordinance the proper and actual " laying on of 
hands, ^' in opposition to the Romish practice of substituting 
for it a gentle blow on the cheek ; for, most clearly, whatever 
variations any branch of the Church may m'ake in the devo- 
tional and hortatory parts of the office, the imposition of hands 
is not only obligatory, but constitutes the very characteristic 
of the rite. 2d. That the blessing herein conveyed may be 
unequivocally given to every individual candidate. And as 
the laying on of hands " has always been used to determine 
the blessing pronounced to those particular persons on whom 
the hands are laid,"* so, in this ordinance, the Bishop, by a 
separate act, confers on each one the blessing, and is justified 

in using the words of the succeeding prayer, " these 

thy servants, upon whom * * * we have now laid our 
hands. ^^ 

Sexagesbia. See Septuagesima. 

" Sharpness of death." In the Te Deum. The pains 
and agonies suflTered by the Redeemer on the cross, but 
which he " overcame " at his resurrection, God having raised 
him up, " having loosed the pains of death : because it was 
not possible that he should be holden of it."f 

* Wheatly. t Acts ii. 24. 



SIM 427 

" Shine." In the 4th verse of the 97th Psalm, in the Prayer- 
book, this word occurs in a form of expression now some- 
what antiquated. " His Hghtnings gave shine unto the world," 
i. e., " his lightnings shone with great brightness upon the 
world ;" or " made the earth to shine.'' 

Shrive. To confess sin. The word is now obsolete, but 
was formerly used for confession to a priest, though not 
always so restricted. From this word is derived the name 
of Shrove-tide, (the time immediately before Lent,) and 
Shrove Tuesday^ times of general confession in the Romish 
Church. 

" Another crime against Richard Collins was, he taught 
that in all such things wherein he offended God, he should 
only shrive himself to God ; and in things which offended 
man, he should shrive him to man."* 

Shrove-tide. The period immediately before Lent. See 
Shrive. 

Shrove Tuesday. The day before Ash Wednesday, so 
called in the Church of England " from the old Saxon word 
shrive, shrift, or shrove, which in that language signifies to 
confess ; it being a constant custom among the Roman Cath- 
olics to confess their sins on that day, in order to receive the 
blessed Sacrament [of the Eucharist] and thereby qualify 
themselves for a more rehgious observance of the holy time 
of Lent immediately ensuing, "f 

Sign of the Cross. See Cross. 

St. Simon and St. Jude's day. A holy-day appointed 
by the Church for the commemoration of these saints. 

" The first is Simon, surnamed the Canaanite, and Zelotes, 
which two names are, in fact, the same ; for the Hebrew term 
Canaan, signifies a zealot. 

" There was a sect of men called Zealots, about the time of 
Christ, in Judea, who out of a pretended zeal for God's honor, 

* Account of the Lollards. t Wheatly. 



428 SIN 

woald commit the most grievous outrages ; they would choose 
and ordain high priests out of the basest of the people, and 
murder men of the highest and most illustrious extraction. 
And it is highly probable that this Simon, before his con- 
version and call, was one of this hot-headed sect ; or, at least, 
that there was some fire or fierceness conspicuous in his tem- 
per that occasioned his being distinguished by that warm 
name. 

" He was one of the twelve Apostles, and a relation of our 
blessed Lord; either his half-brother, being one of Joseph's 
sons by another wife, or a cousin by his mother's side. 

" The other Saint, this day commemorated, was likewise 
one of the twelve Apostles, and Simon's brother, and con- 
sequently of the same degree of consanguinity to our blessed 
Saviour. 

^' He had two surnames, viz., Thaddeus, which seems to be 
nothing more than a diminutive of the term Judas, as it is 
derived from the same Hebrew root ; and Lebbeus, which is 
derived from another Hebrew root, signifying a little heart." 

Simony. - The crime of offering or receiving money, &c., 
for spiritual gifts or preferments. The first instance of this of- 
fence in the Christian Church, is in the case of Simon Magus, 
who sought to purchase the Holy Ghost with money. From 
this circumstance the name of Simony is derived. The more 
glaring acts of simony are the purchase of ministerial 
authority by offering and receiving money, &c., at ordina- 
tions, or by using bribery and gifts with the design of securing 
promotion in the Church. 

Singers. Those who conduct the musical part of the 
Church service. See Choir. 

Singers. An order of men in the ancient Church. See 
Inferior Orders. 

Singing. See Music. 

"Singular." Used by old writers in the sense of incom- 
parable, matchless, of unequalled excellence. The following 



sFE 429 

examples are taken from King Edward Vl's Primer. 
"Breathe into my heart by thy Holy Spirit, this most pre- 
cious and singular gift of faith, which worketh by charity," 

" that when thou shalt call me out of this careful life, 

[a life full of cares,] I may enjoy that thy most singular and 
last benefit, which is everlasting glory through Jesus Christ 
our Lord." 

"Soldier of Christ." An expression borrowed from a 
well-known Scripture simile, and frequently introduced or 
alluded to in the Prayer-book.* 

In some of the older writers of the Church of England, 
the word ''knight^^ was used in the same sense. We give 
an example or two from Wiclif "The fourth gift of the 
Holy Spirit, is the gift of strength, which armeth God's knight, 
and maketh his soul hardy and strong to suffer divers dis- 
eases for God's love." t " Are not these lords, who thus hold 
curates in their courts and worldly oiEces, \ traitors to God 
Almighty, since they draw away his chief knights from their 
spiritual battle, when and where they were most needful for 
this service ?" ^ 

Song of the three Children. See Benedicite. 

Special Convention. In each Diocese of the Church 
there is, every year, a regular meeting or Convention of the 
Clergy, and a portion of the laity, from the various Churches, 
to transact business — to frame and enact laws or Canons — and 
to consult for the temporal and spiritual welfare of the 
Churches. See Convention. But if any thing unexpect- 
edly occurs, of more than usual importance, in the interim, 
and the Church would suffer injury by delay in acting upon 
it, then the Bishop, if he judge expedient, may call a Con- 



♦ See the Offices for Baptism. t Poor Caitiff. 

t Alluding to those who induced the Clergy to forsake their parishes for 
secular employment. 
. § "Office of Curates," &c., by Wiclif. 



430 SFo 

vention before the ordinary time, to take measures respecting 
the matter. A Convention of this kind, not being a regular 
annual one, but held for a special or particular purpose, is 
called a " Special Convention." 

A similar extra meeting may also be called, if necessary, 
of the General Convention, the regular meetings of which 
are only once in three years. This is designated, a "Special 
General Convention." 

Spiritual. Spirituals. Terms in ecclesiastical lan- 
guage applied to those offices, duties, functions, &c., of reli- 
gion and of the ministry, which are opposed to such as are of 
a merely temporal or ordinary character. In the 37th Article 
the distinction is recognized. " The power of the Civil Magis- 
trate extendeth to all men, as well Clergy as Laity, in all 
things temporal ; but hath no authority in things purely 
spiritual^ We have a good example also in the following 
passage of Archbishop Seeker's 3d Charge : " I now proceed 
to another point, of a temporal nature indeed, as it may seem, 
but several ways connected with spirituals, viz., the care you 
are bound to take of the incomes arising from your benefices." 

Spirituality. In the ecclesiastical affairs and language 
of the Church of England, the whole body of the Clergy 
are denominated the spirituality. The term is evidently 
derived from the spiritual nature of the office which they hold. 

Sponsors. In the administration of baptism, these have 
from time immemorial held a distinguished and important 
place. Various titles have been given them, significative of 
the position they hold, and the duties to which they are 
pledged. Thus they are called Sponsors, because in infant 
baptisms they respond, or answer for the baptized. They are 
Sureties, in virtue of the security given through them to the 
Church, that the baptized shall be •' virtuously brought up to 
lead a godly and a Christian life." And from the spiritual 
affinity here created, by which a responsibility almost pa- 
rental is undertaken by the sureties, in the future training of 



STA 431 

the baptized, the terms Godfather and Godmother have taken 
their rise. 

In the American Church, as in that of the primitive age, 
parents are permitted to stand as sponsors, if it be desired. 
The rubric also requires, that " There shall be for every Male 
Child to be baptized, when they can be had, two Godfathers 
and one Godmother ; and for every Female, one Godfather 
and two Godmothers." 

The Office of Sponsors is (in the case of infants) twofold. 
1st, that of acting in their name in making the requisite re- 
nunciation of the devil and all his works, &c., confession of 
faith in Christ, and promises of a holy life : 2d, that of pro- 
viding and securing for the child, by their faithful endeavours, 
not only a bare knowledge of the principles of the gospel, 
but as far as may be, a practical acquaintance with the im- 
portant vows made for them in baptism, and the solemn con- 
secration of heart and life which they involve. 

Sprinkling. See Immersion. 

Stalls. In a Cathedral or Collegiate Church, certain 
seats constructed for the Clergy and dignitaries of the Church, 
and used by them exclusively. These stalls are placed in 
that portion of the building called the Choir, or the part in 
which divine service is usually performed. 

*' Stay." This word is found in its antiquated sense, in the 
Burial Service, but in no other part of the Prayer-book. It 
occurs in a passage quoted from Job xiv. 1, 2, thus: "Man 
that is born of a woman, hath but a short time to live, and is 
full of misery. He cometh up, and is cut down like a flower ; 
he fleeth as it were a shadow, and never continueth in one 
stayP The verses as they here stand, are from a translation 
of the Bible, earlier than that now in use. The word " stay'''* 
maybe changed for "place" or "condition" without aflecting 
the sense. The Bible translation gives the full sense of the 
phrase : " He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down : he 
fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not." 



^32 STR 

St. Stephen's day. The day on which the Church com- 
memorates the virtues and death of Stephen, the martyr. 
This festival is immediately followed by those of St. John the 
Evangelist, and of the Holy Innocents. " They are placed 
immediately after Christmas, to intimate (as is supposed) that 
none are thought fitter attendants in Christ's nativity, than 
those blessed Martyrs who lost their temporal lives for him, 
from whose incarnation and birth they received life eternal. 

"As there are three kinds of martyrdom; the first, in will 
and in deed : the second, in will, but not in deed ; and the 
third, in deed, but not in will ; so our Church commemorates 
these Martyrs in the same order. St. Stephen, therefore, is 
placed first, as he suffered death both in will and deed ; St. 
John the Evangelist next, as he suffered in will but not in 
deed ; and the Holy Innocents last, who suffered in deed, but 
not in will." 

" Stool." A seat, place of power, or throne. See Psalm 
xciv. 20. " Wilt thou have any thing to do Avith the stool of 
wickedness," &c. The idea seems to be that of sanctioning 
or partaking in the iniquity of those in high places, who sin 
as though their unrighteous desires were a law to them. The 
Bible translation is, — " Shall the throne of iniquity have fel- 
lowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law ? " 

"Strong." See Collect for the 4th Sunday after Trinity. 
" O God, the protector of all that trust in thee, without whom 
nothing is strong, nothing is holy," &c. This prayer, it will 
be observed, is for aid and guidance "through things tem- 
poral;" in which the Christian needs that his weak- 
ness should be strengthened into spiritual vigor, lest by 
the trials of this mortal state, he should be overcome, and in 
the end, fail of his reward. All strength to contend with 
adversities and temptations, comes from God. He alone 
'• giveth strength and power unto his people ; " therefore the 
Church teaches her children to rely on Him, " without whom, 
nothing is strongP 



sue 433 

Sub-deacon. See Inferior Orders. 

Substance. In relation to the Godhead, that which forma 
its essence or being — that in which the divine attributes in- 
here. In the language of the Church, and agreeably with 
holy writ, Christ is said to be of the same substance with the 
Father, being begotten, and therefore partaking of the divine 
essence, not made, as was the opinion of some of the early 
heretics. See Con substantial. 

Success. A plea not unfrequcntly adopted by those who 
contend for the validity of non-episcopal ministrations. The 
ground assumed is, that God's blessing evidently follows such 
ministrations, as shown in the conversion of sinners and the 
spiritual edification of believers ; and that as this " success " 
flows from the divine co-operatioit, the highest testimony is 
given to the validity of the ordinations under which it is 
effected. Now so far as the fact of success is concerned, 
we freely acknowledge it, and give God thanks that his word 
" is not bound," but has free course and is glorified, by 
whomsoever spoken. But we deny altogether that success 
is a test of valid ordination ; for it may follow the declara- 
tion of the gospel by any one, whether man, woman, or 
child, — whether Jew, Turk, Infidel, or Heretic. The mere 
fact of a layman becoming instrumental in the " winning of 
souls," is a proof of the efficacy of God's truth, but not of 
the existence of ministerial authority in such a person. Sup- 
pose that good results follow the labours of those who usurp the 
sacred office. What then 1 Does this legalize their usurpa- 
tions ? By no means ; it only proves that the sword of the 
Spirit will pierce, though in unlawful hands ; — that the vine- 
yard will thrive, though strangers water it ; that the good 
seed will grow, even when scattered by those who are no 
husbandmen. Let success be the test, and the ministry may 
be claimed by all men ; for all, with the Bible in their hands, 
and the gift of speech to proclaim it, may ordinarily meet 
the test and demand its issue. If the inquiry be here made, 
37 



434 SUF 

* Why laymen may not exercise clerical functions innocently 
and without restraint ;' we reply, because Christ otherwise 
ordered it. He established in the Church a ministry ; to that 
ministry he granted certain high prerogatives ; and into it 
none might intrude without his commission. This ministry 
is adequate to all the purposes for which it was designed, ren- 
dering usurpation as inexcusable as it is needless. And 
though a temporary success may attend the acts of those who 
invade the ministry, yet it is invariably at the risk of perma- 
nent evils, of which no stronger attestation need be given 
than the deplorable schisms and heresies now rife in the 
Christian world. 

Succession, Apostolical. See Uninterrupted suc- 
cession. 

Succession, Uninterrupted. See Uninterrupted suc- 
cession. 

" Sudden death." A petition against this occurs in the 
Litany, and has been made a matter of objection, on the 
ground that it implies an interference with the will of Provi- 
dence. The term, as explained in some other liturgies, re- 
fers to unprepared death, which is a proper subject of depre- 
cation, inasmuch as the holiest of men need at that solemn 
hour the comforts of religion ; and much more may the un- 
righteous profit by a time allotted them for repentance. But 
even in the stricter import of the term, there is nothing 
justly objectionable. Death is an event, the time of which 
is in God's hand, and the circumstances also ; yet the saints of 
old besought the Almighty that they might not be taken away 
suddenly in the midst of their days, and their prayers to this 
effect left on record, are a sufficient vindication of the peti- 
tion in question. 

Suffragan. The designation of certain titular bishops, 
appointed to act under a superior, within a prescribed dis- 
trict or diocese of the Church. In the ancient Church, all 
the Bishops in a province were properly suffragans, in rela- 



suF 435 

tion to their metropolitan ; each had his proper diocese, and 
assumed its appropriate title ; but yet they were subject to 
the metropolitan, and under his jurisdiction. The fact of 
their being thus dependent on a superior, and bound to give 
their suffrage and assistance to him, and to meet at his 
command in provincial synods, &c., was probably the origin 
of the term by which they were distinguished, though it has 
also been supposed that it sprung from their claiming to vote, 
or to give their suffrages, in the election of the Archbishop. 
In England, the diocesan Bishops are still regarded as suffra- 
gans, under the control of the Archbishops of the two pro- 
vinces of Canterbury and York. 

In the American Church, suffragans are not allowed by the 
Canons. The distinction between them and Assistant 
Bishops, seems to be this. An Assistant Bishop acts within 
the diocese of his principal, not having a diocese of his own 
with its proper title, nor a defined district of his superior's 
diocese ; whereas the reverse of this is true of a suffragan, 
who has his own distinct sphere of jurisdiction, and claims 
the title belonging to it. A suffragan implies the existence 
of an Archbishop, or of a Bishop exercising jurisdiction with- 
out the bounds of his own proper diocese, or within portions 
of it marked out as secondary bishoprics ; but an Assistant 
Bishop implies nothing of the kind, he being, as his designa- 
tion imports, the helper of the Bishop when disabled by in- 
firmity, in administering the affairs of a single unbroken dio- 
cese, every portion of which is equally the field of his epis- 
copal duties, under the advice and regulation of the diocesan. 
See also Chorepiscopus. 

Suffrage. A vote, token of assent and approbation, or, 
as in public worship, the united voice and consent of the 
people in the petitions offered. " See now then, both learned 
and unlearned, how prayers and all other suffrages, are in 
common to this spiritual Church."* 

* The Lantern of Light, A. D. 1400. 



436 SUN 

The term is also used in the Prayer-book to designate a 
short form of petition, as in the Litany. Thus, in the Order 
for the Consecration of Bishops, we read that, in the Litany 
as then used, after the words, " That it may please thee to 
illuminate all Bishops," &c., " the proper Suffrage shall be, 
* That it may please thee to bless this our brother elected,' " 
&;c. The versicles immediately after the Creed in morning 
and evening prayer, are also denominated suffrages. 

Suicides. See Burial Service. 

Sunday. See Lord's day. 

Sunday, or Dominical Letter. In the Calendar, the 
first seven letters of the alphabet are applied to the days of 
the week, the letter A being always given to the 1st of 
January, whatever that day may be, and the others in suc- 
cession to the following days. If the year consisted of 
364 days, making an exact number of weeks, it is evident 
that no change would ever take place in these letters ; thus, 
supposing the 1st of January iji any given year to be Sunday, 
all the Sundays would be represented by A, not only in that 
year, but in all succeeding. There being, however, 365 days 
in the year, the first letter is again repeated on the 31st of 
December, and consequently the Sunday letter for the follow- 
ing year will be G. "This retrocession of the letters will, 
from the same cause, continue every year, so as to make F 
the dominical letter of the third, &c. If every year were 
common, the process would continue regularly, and a cycle 
of seven years would suffice to restore the same letters to the 
same days as before. But the intercalation of a day, every 
bissextile or fourth year, has occasioned a variation in this 
respect. The bissextile year containing 366, instead of 365 
days, will throw the dominical letter of the following year 
back two letters, so that, if the dominical letter at the begin- 
ning of the year be C, the dominical letter of the next year 
will be, not B, but A. This alteration is not effected by drop- 
ping a letter altogether, but by changing the dominical letter 



SUN 437 

at the end of February, where the intercalation of a day- 
takes place. In consequence of this change every fourth 
year, twenty-eight years must elapse, before a complete revo- 
lution can take place in the dominical letter, and it is on this 
circumstance that the period of the solar cycle is founded." 

Sunday School. An institution for the religious educa- 
tion of children, usually in connection with a Church or 
parish, and holding its exercises on the Lord's day. As we 
have already had occasion, in the article Catechising, to 
speak of the general duty of early religious training, it will 
be the less necessary to enlarge upon it here. 

Sunday Schools form one of the many instrumentalities 
employed by the Church, for the benefit of her younger 
members. Their rise has usually been dated from the truly 
Christian efforts of a citizen of Gloucester, England, whose 
benevolent spirit led him, about half a century ago, to devise 
these organizations for the reclaiming of the children of the 
lower classes from vice and ignorance. It is not however to 
be supposed that, anterior to this, no systematic means had 
been attempted for the religious instruction of the young. 
Indeed, Mr. Raikes' schools were at first far more of a secular 
character than those of the present day ; and, if we mistake 
not, were preparatives, rather than substitutes, for the regular 
provisions of the Church. So excellent a plan was, however, 
not to be neglected, as a valuable auxiliary to pastoral effort; 
and it accordingly received the countenance and patronage it 
so well deserved. In ages before, means had been establish- 
ed for the spiritual welfare of the young. The Church had 
engaged for this object, a train of responsible agents, and 
required it at the hands of her Clergy, Catechists, and Bap- 
tismal Sponsors, as well as from the labours of private teach- 
ers, and the parents themselves. There can also be no doubt 
that at the Reformation, the restorers of the English Church 
had fully in view, the adequate instruction of the young in 
the principles of the gospel. Of this, the Church Catechism 
37* 



438 SUNDAY SCHOOL. 

is in itself a sufficient proof, containing, as it does, an admi- 
rable statement of all those things " which a Christian ought 
to know and believe to his soul's health;" and this in lan- 
guage so simple and intelligible, that it seems to be the very 
alphabet of the gospel. And that the grand purpose of this 
was the careful training of all children, without exception, in. 
the paths of piety, is evident from the rubric appended, in 
which it is required of them to be present at Church " at the 
appointed time, and obediently to hear, and to be ordered by 
the Minister, until such time as they have learned all that is 
appointed for them to learn." This, viewed in connection 
with the efforts of parents and sponsors, shows how intimately 
the spiritual care of the young was blended with the earliest 
policy of the parent Church. 

But with all this apparatus for juvenile instruction, the 
lapse of a century or two brought with it several powerful 
motives for the introduction of a more enlarged system of 
measures, having however the same great object in vieAv. 
The increased demands made upon clerical labor, at every 
period subsequent to the Reformation, rendered it expedient, 
that in the care of a large floclf, the pastor should receive and 
employ such aid as the laity were qualified to render. And 
again ; the increase of population was far more rapid than 
that of the means of religious instruction ; and the conse- 
quence was, the exposure of thousands of children to io-no- 
rance, vice, and every kind of demoralizing influence. These 
were characteristics of the times, which needed prompt relief 
and vigorous action ; for the eye of humanity was shocked to 
look upon the wide-spread mischief which was w^orking so 
ruinously and so fatally. Such was precisely the state of 
things in England, when Mr. Raikes first conceived the idea 
of gathering together in little groups on the Lord's day, the 
neglected children of some of the more populous districts, 
and of redeeming their early years from the corrupting in- 
fluences around them. It was a noble thought, and God's 



SUNDAY SCHOOL. 439 

blessing went with it, endowing it with such unexampled suc- 
cess, that in less than five years from the commencement, 
about 250,000 children were every Sunday receiving in- 
struction, and several Bishops of the Church came forward 
to hail the scheme, and "cast the weight of their mitres into 
the scale of this holy cause." And the Institution was one ad- 
mirably adapted for perpetuity. It began with the countenance 
of the Church, and with the sanction of every pious mind. And 
though the original plan has suffered some alteration since, it 
has been still for the better, in the fact that the present univer- 
sality of education relieves the Sunday School of much mere 
literary labor, and leaves it more free to act in a purely 
religious character. The system needs no better eulogy, 
than the statement that at the present day it has become 
closely associated with almost every department of pious en- 
terprise. Its triumphant progress and mighty results are 
known to all. It has been tested, and it has achieved wonders. 
To say nothing of its direct bearing on personal piety, it has 
acted, and is still acting, with an incalculable power in behalf 
of national virtue. So much so, indeed, that had it not been 
for this important institution, constantly giving its checks to 
early waywardness, the tone of public morals would, beyond 
all#question, have been many degrees below its present 
standard. We do not realize this as vividly, perhaps, as we 
ought, for we are too familiar with the system. We are born, 
we grow, we live, and we die, in a Sunday School atmosphere. 
We know not fully what we enjoy. We do not observe the 
purifying influence that is about us — strong and successful, 
yet unostentatiously fulfilling its high and benevolent offices. 
But the effect on public virtue is, after all, only a secondary 
result of Sunday School instruction. The main design is 
that of making pure religion victorious over the heart, and 
supreme in the government of the soul. Just so far as this 
is attained, the teacher counts himself successful, and the 
Church rejoices with him. It is here that the pious teachpy 



440 SUNDAY SCHOOL. 

finds his highest gratification : for he feels that he is prepar- 
ing souls for a holy life and a happy eternity. It is to the 
renewing effect of the gospel of Christ that he so anxiously 
looks ; and hails with the liveliest enthusiasm any indication 
of its power and influence. 

Much has been said about the relation in which Sunday 
Schools should stand to the Minister of the parish in which 
they are situated. Some have contended for their entire 
independence, making it something like an act of intrusion 
for the Minister to hold jurisdiction over them. In such cir- 
cumstances, there are three inquiries to be made. 1. Whether 
the Redeemer's command to the Clergy, — "Feed my lambs," 
has ever been repealed. 2. Whether the appointments of the 
Church, to which we have already referred, are yet in force. 
3, Whether the children of the school are a portion of the 
Clergyman's spiritual charge. The answer to these questions, 
will show how far the Minister's authority [extends over the 
younger members of his flock; and none can fail of the con- 
clusion, that whatever auxiliary means are employed for the 
spiritual benefit of children, the chief responsibility and over- 
sight rests with him. 

In the prosecution of Sunday School instruction, there are 
at least two objects to be constantly kept in view. ]. Che 
fixing of definite and clear impressions of religious truth, 
wherever we undertake to train the mind at all. It is incon- 
ceivable how much well-intended zeal may be brought into 
action by the teacher, and how much time and labor the 
pupil may sometimes consume in reading and reciting, with- 
out leaving on the mind any strong, vivid, and systematic 
apprehension of the truths of religion, though at the same 
time they may appear obvious and luminous enough to our- 
selves. Now where this is the case, the benefits which should 
flow from our industry, are in a great measure neutralized, and 
the formation of the religious character is defeated, — we labor 
in vain, and children grow up without any distinct under- 



SUNDAY SCHOOL. 411 

Standing of the doctrines of the gospel, or the peculiar prin- 
ciples of the Church. The danger of leaving the mind in 
this confused state, has been felt by all denominations of 
Christians, and by none more than our own. But there is a 
very safe remedy for all this. Let every thing that is taught 
to a child, be presented as a fact, and never as a subject of 
controversy, or in a spirit of hesitation. The Church, in her 
religious training, knows nothing about opinions contrary to 
the truths she has brought down from the Apostles ; and 
therefore she preserves her children on solid ground, leaving 
for maturer years the survey of the quicksands of error. 
2d. There should be an adherence to a regular and perspicuous 
exposition of all the points of the Christian faith. In these 
will be embraced every distinct feature of the doctrine of 
Christ ; and when once clearly understood, they will take 
firm hold on the mind, and their mutual connection will 
soon be perceived and appreciated. In this way, let the 
whole ground be trodden. Introduce the pupil, by degrees, 
to every thing which the Church regards as important. 
Shovv him not only the doctrines, but also the ministry — the 
worship, and the discipline, of the Church. Arm him at all 
points, so that he may in after life be a man of God — a soldier 
of Christ — perfect, and thoroughly furnished unto all good 
works. Now in order to ensure all this, the books employ- 
ed should be such, and only such as agree with the doctrines 
of Christ as taught in the Church, and with those principles 
by which, as a religious body, we are distinguished. This 
is not only an act of justice to our own Church, but it is re- 
commended by the example of all denominations of Chris- 
tians. And, what kind of religious views but the most 
confused and contradictory, would be produced in the mind 
of a pupil, by putting into his hands books gleaned from 
every quarter, and expressing the sentiments of various bodies 
of Christians, all which the poor child reads in good faith, as 
equally true, though perfectly bewildered by their disagree- 



442 SUP 

merits ? What could be expected, but that he should grow- 
up without any fixed and decided principles at all? Just as 
well might he go a little further, and attend the schools of 
different denominations in rotation, and receive on every 
Sunday a confutation of his previous lesson. Let not the 
Churchman's child be thus abused, and cast on the stormy sea 
of opinion, without rudder, compass, or pilot, to direct his 
way. If we believe that the doctrines of our Church are 
those of Christ and his Apostles, — that the order and worship 
of this -Church are on the right foundation, — that here piety 
may grow on as favorable a soil as elsewhere, to say the least, 
— then prudence would advise, even if consistency did not re- 
quire, the furnishing of our schools with such publications, and 
the faithful teaching of such principles, as are approved 
by the Church, and breathe the genuine spirit of Apostolic 
times. 

Supererogation. In the Romish Church, works of su- 
pererogation are those good deeds which are supposed to have 
been performed by departed saints, over and above what is 
required for their own salvation. These constitute an inex- 
haustible fund, on which the Pope has the power of drawing 
at pleasure, for the relief of the Church, by the application 
of some portion of this superabundant merit, to meet a de- 
ficiency in the spiritual worth of any of its members. 

Supplications. The whole Litany is called a General 
Supplication ; but this term is the appropriate designation 
only of that portion included within brackets, and left discre- 
tionary in the American Prayer-book. This part of the 
Litany " was first collected and arranged in this form, when 
the barbarous nations began to overrun the Church, about 600 
years after Christ." * But though the Church is now exempt 
from actual persecution, yet in its militant state, being ever 
exposed to the assaults of "sin, the world, and the devil," 

* Wheatly. 



suR 443 

there is no impropriety, but a manifest appropriateness in 
retaining this highly devotional strain of prayer. In this 
part of the Litany occurs the Lord's prayer, a form, without 
which the ancient Christians always regarded their suppli- 
cations as incomplete. Here also we find that affecting prayer 
of St. Gregory, " O God, merciful Father, who despisest not 
the sighing of a contrite heart," &c., a prayer which has been 
in use more than 1200 years. In this, a single alteration 
has been made, by the omission of a clause relative to the 
intercession of angels and departed saints. 

The discretionary part of the Litany, remarks Bishop 
Brownell, " is so excellent and so fervent, that it will seldom 
be omitted, unless there is some imperious necessity for 
abridging the service. And in those congregations where it is 
thought expedient generally to omit it, propriety would seem 
to dictate the use of it, on all the more solemn seasons of the 
Church." 

Supremacy. The rank claimed by the Bishop of Rome, 
as Vicar of Christ, and supreme head of the Church on 
earth, — a rank which was not acknowledged in the primitive 
age, and of which it is notorious that the ancient British 
Church knew nothing for 600 years after its establishment. 

Surcingle. The band, girdle, or belt, used by Clergymen 
with their Cassocks. 

" Sureties." A title given to sponsors in baptism, indica- 
tive of the solemn obligation which they assume, in assuring 
to the child or person baptized, the benefit of that spiritual 
instruction required by the Church, preparatory to the ratifica- 
tion of his baptismal vows at Confirmation. See Sponsors. 

Surplice. A flowing white garment used by the Clergy 
in reading the Morning and Evening Prayer, in the admin- 
istration of the holy Communion, and in general, in all offices 
of the Church, except preaching. The surplice is of con- 
siderable antiquity, and independently of this, its appropriate- 
ness as an emblem of that light and purity which distinguish 



444 SYM 

the Gospel, will ever plead in its favor against current objec- 
tions. See Clerical garments. 

"SuRSUM CoRDA." "Lift up your hearts ;" a form of 
great antiquity in the liturgical services of almost every 
branch of the Church. 

Suspension. The second degree of punishment in the 
case of a Clergyman who has been tried for an offence, and 
found guilty. It consists in the Bishop's taking away from 
him, for a certain time, the liberty of performing divine ser- 
vice, preaching, and exercising any other of the duties of a 
Minister. See Admonition, and Degradation. 

A Communicant may also be suspended, or not allowed to 
partake of the Lord's Supper, if the Minister shall know him 
to be " an open and notorious evil liver, or to have done any 
wrong to his neighbour by word or deed, so that the Congre- 
gation be thereby offended." And it is also made the duty 
of the Minister, to proceed in the same manner, or to use the 
same order, " with those, betwixt whom he perceiveth malice 
and hatred to reign ; not suffering them to be partakers of 
the Lord's Table, until he know them to be reconciled." 

The reason why unworthy persons are thus suspended, 
instead of being altogether excluded from the Communion, is, 
1st, that they may have time to repent, and amend their lives, 
and thus be, in the end, restored to the Church. And 2d, 
that the Minister may acquaint the Bishop with the facts, and 
obtain his advice and judgment on the case ; for it is ordered, 
that, if any one has been repelled from the Communion, the 
Minister " shall be obliged to give an account of the same to 
the Ordinaiy (the Bishop) as soon as conveniently may be." 
Symbol, or Symboluim. A title anciently given to the 
Apostles' Creed, and for which several reasons have been 
assigned. Two of these have an appearance of probability, 
viz., that, 1, which derives the word from the Greek Cufx/SaXXsjv, 
signifying a throwing or casting together, and alleges that 
the Apostles each contributed an article to form the Creed ; 



TAB 445 

and 2, the opinion that this Creed was used in times of per- 
secution as a watch. word or mark whereby Christians (like 
soldiers in an army) were distinguished from all others. 
This latter is the sense given in the Short Catechism of 
Edward VI. 1552, where we read, " M, Why is this 
abridgment of the faith termed a symbol ? S. A symbol 
is as much as to say, a sign, mark, privy-token, or watch- 
word, whereby the soldiers of the same camp are known 
from their enemies. For this reason the abridgment of the 
faith, whereby the Christians are known from them that are 
no Christians, is rightly named a symbol." 

The term symbol, importing an emblem or sensible repre- 
sentation, is also applied in the holy Eucharist to the sacred 
elements, which there set forth the body and blood of Christ. 

Symphony. In music, an instrumental composition in the 
form of an overture, &c. The term is popularly applied to 
short introductory movements on the organ, before anthems 
and other pieces ; also to any portion performed by- the in- 
strument without the voices, including preludes, interludes, 
and postludes, i. e., strains before^ in the midst, and at the end 
of psalmody and other Church music. 

Synod. A term synonymous with Council, which See. 

Synodals. In the ancient Church, the Provincial Consti- 
tutions and Canons, which were framed in synods, were 
publicly read in the parish churches on Sundays, and were 
called by the name of Synodals. 



T. 



Table, Commitnion. See Altar. 

Tables. The tables immediately preceding the Order of 
Morning Prayer, in the Prayer-book, are 1st, For the finding 

38 



446 TED 

of the lessons of Scripture for Sundays, Holy-days, and the 
ordinary days throughout the year. 2d, Tables of the Festi- 
vals and Fasts appointed by this Church. 3d, Tables for the 
finding of Easter in any year, and the Holy-days depending 
on it, to the year 2199 inclusive. The necessity and usefulness 
of all these, arises from the appointment by the Church of a 
system of holy- days with appropriate services, embracing 
the entire circuit of the year, and commemorative of the 
principal events in the gospel history. The times of many 
of these are determined by the revolution of the celestial bo- 
dies, and require the above tables for their correct adjust- 
ment. The tables of lessons are so framed, that in the ordi- 
nary course, nearly the entire Bible is once read every year. 
On the Sundays and holy-days, proper lessons are appointed 
corresponding with the special design of those days. 

Te Deum laudamus. ("We praise thee, O God," &c.) 
A hymn glowing with holy thought, and expressed in lan- 
guage worthy of a seraph. It occurs in the morning ser- 
vice immediately after the first lesson. It was a custom of 
the primitive Church to follow the reading of God's holy 
word, with songs of thanksgiving. Some of these were 
taken from Scripture, and others were of human composition. 
In the latter class stands the Te Deum, a hymn said to have 
been written by St. Ambrose, though this has been disputed. 
It is certain, however, that its use in the Church can be 
traced up to the middle of the sixth century. " In two an- 
cient MSS., an old collection of Hymns and an old Psalter, 
Archbishop Usher found Te Deum ascribed to St. Nicetius, 
Bishop of Triers, who, as Stillingfleet, Cave, and the learned 
in general think, composed this hymn for the use of the Gal- 
ilean Church. He flourished about A. D., 535, nearly 100 
years after the death of St. Ambrose. From this period the 
hymn is often mentioned, and the use of it is repeatedly 
prescribed." The Episcopal Church loves antiquity, because 
antiquity is impressed with the footsteps of her great Bishop 



TE DEUM. 447 

and Shepherd, and these she delights to discover and con- 
template ; and she loves antiquity too, because to revert to it, 
is but to unroll the record of her own genealogy, and to be- 
hold her own noble pedigree, and to find that her children 
are all the fruit of the truest spiritual wedlock. Honoured 
may she be, that in her young days she learned to give thanks 
to God and say, Te Deum laudamus. " The hymn itself '* 
says one " is rational and majestic, and in all particulars 
worthy of the spouse of Christ ; being above all the compo- 
sures of men uninspired, fittest for the tongues of men and 
angels." "Indeed," says another, "the composition alone 
is human, the materials are of divine composition." But, 
asks the objector, was it not gendered in the dark ages, and 
amid the wild revelry of superstition ? Friendly reader, be 
not deluded by names, and carried away by arbitrary asso- 
ciations, nurtured in prejudice. There were " bright beams 
of light " irradiating the Church at that period ; and there 
were giants in those portentous days, able and willing to take 
unto them "the whole armour of God." Verv true, the 
cloud was up, high above the horizon, and was rolling on 
apace to enshroud in darkness the city of our God. And we 
therefore admire the more the tongue that could then chant 
a song so saint-like and so holy. Call it a jewel brought 
from the cavern-depth ; or a meteor lit up in the gloom ; — it 
suffers not ; for it adorns and illumes the character of Him 
who is Head over all things to the Church — it discourses of 
One who is the " chief among ten thousand," — it hei'alds-in 
the " King of Glory," — the " everlasting Son of the Father," 
whom day by day we love to magnify, and whose name we 
hope to worship " ever, world without end." 

The Te Deum is a methodical hymn, and embraces in its 
scope three particulars. Its analysis is thus given by Dean 
Comber. 

" I. An act of praise offered to God by us, and by all crea- 



448 TEM 

tures, as well in earth as in heaven ; particularly the angels, 
and the saints who are there, join with us. 

" II. A confession of faith ; declaring the general consent 
unto it, and the particulars of it ; namely, concerning every 
Person in the Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ; 
and more largely concerning the Son, as to his divinity, his 
humanity, and particularly his incarnation ; his death ; his 
present glory ; and his return to judgment. 

" III. A supplication grounded upon it ; 1, for all his 
people, that they may be preserved here, and saved here- 
after ; 2, for ourselves who daily praise him, that we may be 
kept from future sin, and be pardoned for what is past, be- 
cause we trust in him." 

In the review of the Prayer-book by the American Gene- 
ral Convention, a few alterations were made in the phrase- 
ology of this hymn, and some antiquated terms removed. 
The punctuation also has been changed ; being in the 
American Prayer-book grammatical, but in the English, 
musical. See Pointed. 

Temple. In the Bible, this title generally refers to that 
house of prayer which Solomon built in Jerusalem, for the 
honour and worship of God, The name of Temple is now 
popularly used for any Church or place of worship set apart 
for the service of Almighty God. Thus, the services of the 
Church are frequently introduced by the words, " The Lord 
is in his holy Temple ; let all the earth keep silence before 
him." Here, by the word " temple,''^ allusion is made to the 
Church in which we have met together to offer our prayers 
and praises to the Most High. 

Temporal. Temporals. See Spiritual. 

Temporalities. The estate, possessions, revenues, and 
property belonging to a Church. In its more ordinary use, 
the term indicates those portions of the temporal revenues 
of the Church, which belong to the income of the minister. 



THO 449 

In this sense it is used in the " Office of Institution of Min- 
isters," " — we authorize you to claim and enjoy all the ac- i 
customed temporalities appertaining to your cure," &c. 

Tender. In the Exhortation to Prisoners under sentence 
of death, this word is used in its obsolete sense, thus, " repent 
you truly of your sins, as you tender the eternal salvation of 
your soul," — that is, " as you affectionately regard and value 
the eternal salvation of your soul." 

Tersanctus. Thrice holy. The Latin title of the hymn 
in the Communion service, beginning " Therefore with an- 
gels and archangels," &c. See Trisagion. 

Thanksgiving Day, Form for. " In addition to her other 
holy-days, our Church appoints the first Thursday in No- 
vember (or if any other day be appointed by civil authority, 
then such day) to be observed as a day of thanksgiving to 
Almighty God for the fruits of the earth, and all other bless- 
ings of his merciful providence ; and prescribes a service' 
for the day admirably calculated to excite gratitude and de- 
votion. Her members should sacredly observe this pious, 
requisition — should be content, in obedience to her call, and 
in gratitude to the Giver of all good, to lay aside, on this 
day, their ordinary occupations, and go to God's house, to. 
offer him an oblation with great gladness, and to bless his 
holy name for all his goodness towards them." 

Thirty-nine Articles. See Articles of Religion. 

St. Thomas's Day. A festival kept in honour of the 
memory of St. Thomas, one of our Lord's twelve disciples,- 
St. Thomas was surnamed Didymus, from a Greek word sig- 
nifying a twin ; which meaning is also attached to the Sy- 
riac word Thauma, whence is derived his name Thomas, 
It was customary with the Jews when travelling into foreign 
countries, or familiarly conversing with Greeks and Romans, 
to assume to themselves a Greek, or a Latin name, of great 
affinity, and sometimes of the very same signification with 
that of their own country. 
38* 



450 TIT 

The lineage of St. Thomas is not recorded in Scripture. 
It is however very probable that he was by nation a Gali- 
lean, and it is certain that he was by profession a fisherman, 
and for some time partner with Peter. 

" The most remarkable event recorded of him in Scripture, 
is his sudden conviction of the truth of our Lord's resurrec- 
tion,- after expressing the most obstinate incredulity. What 
Jesus said to St. Thomas on this interesting occasion — 
* Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed,^ 
should enforce the reasonableness and necessity of yielding 
assent on sufficient testimony, without requiring the strongest 
possible. And the impassioned acknowledgment of the 
Apostle — * My Lord, and my God ' — should remind us of 
the divine dignity of him whose advent we are about to 
celebrate." 

The sphere of his apostolic labours was chiefly in Parthia. 
He declared Christ to the Medes and Persians ; and we learn 
from Gregory Nazianzen, that he travelled as far as India. 
St. Chrysostom also intimates his preaching in Ethiopia. 
He finally suffered martyrdom in India through the hostility 
of the Brahmins, who excited the people and the soldiery to 
take his life. 

Throne. In a Cathedral Church, a name given to the 
pulpit or elevated place, reserved for the use of the Bishop. 

Tithe, or Tythe. In the Church of England, a tenth 
part of the profits accruing from the produce of estates, ap- 
plied to the maintenance of the Clergy. The system of 
tithes being unknown in the American Church, little need 
here be said concerning them, except in the way of removing 
an objection frequently made against the English Church, 
and reflected from that to the prejudice of our own. The 
alleged injustice of exacting tithes, (in England,) from per- 
sons who are on principle opposed to the established Church, 
can only be urged by those who lose sight of the origin of 
this mode of clerical maintenance. Originally, the proprie- 



TIT 451 

tors of estates, or lords of the manors, generally built at their 
own cost the parish churches in their neighbourhood ; and for 
the support of the clergy, and other purposes of a religious 
nature, instead of granting a pecuniary stipend, they allotted 
a tenth part of the produce of their estates. " Tithes were 
originally given," says a writer, " not only to support the 
clergy, but also to keep the churches in repair, and to main- 
tain the poor ; and for many hundred years they were faith- 
fully applied to all these purposes ; at last, however, in the 
reign of Henry VIII., a large portion of the tithes, and other 
property which had been taken from the parochial clergy by 
the religious houses or monasteries, was on the suppression 
of those monasteries, not restored to the parochial clergy, 
but given away to noblemen and others of the laity. Thus, 
as the clergy lost for ever a great proportion of their pro- 
perty, it would have been manifestly unjust to make them 
support all the poor, and repair the churches at their sole 
cost, as they did originally. In consequence, the law has 
since established the rule, that ihe owner of the tithes shall 
keep the chancel of the church in repair, instead of the whole 
church ; and that he shall support a part of the poor, or in 
other words, pay poor-rate on his tithes, in the proportion 
which his tithe property bears to the other property of the 
parish. The right of the clergy, therefore, (and other tithe- 
holders,) is as ancient, and as well-founded in law, and in 
custom, as the right to any property in the kingdom ; and the 
payment of tithes is, in reality, a deduction, not from the 
wages of the poor laborer, or from the just profits of the 
farmer, but from the rent of the landed proprietor ; and in 
consequence, it is most inconsistent with common honesty to 
represent the clergy, because they possess property of this 
description, as invading the fair profits of the farmers, or 
keeping down the wages of the industrious poor." 

Title. A term importing any Church or place where a 
Clergyman is appointed ta exercise his functions. From a 



452 TRA 

very early period Bishops have been restricted from ordain- 
ing persons at large, i. e., without possessing a determinate 
sphere of labour. Thus the 6th Canon of Chalcedon, A. D. 
451, ordains " That no one be ordained either Priest, or 
Deacon, or to any ecclesiastical Order at all at large, but be 
particularly assigned, when ordained, to the Church of some 
city, or village, &c. ; and the holy Synod hath determined, 
that the ordination of those who are ordained at large, be 
null, and that they may no where be capable of officiating," 
&c. In agreement with this practice, the 33d Canon of the 
Church of England, headed " The Titles of such as are to 
be made Ministers," begins thus, " It hath been ^ong since 
provided by many decrees of the ancient Fathers, that none 
should be admitted either Deacon or Priest, who had not first 
some certain place where he might use his function. Accord^ 
ing to which examples, we do ordain, that henceforth no per- 
son shall be admitted into Sacred Orders, except he shall at 
that time exhibit to the Bishop, of whom he desireth impo- 
sition of hands, a Presentation of himself to some Ecclesi- 
astical Preferment then void in that Diocese," &c. In the 
American Church, the restriction only concerns those who 
apply for Priest's Orders. See Canon XIX. of the General 
Convention. 

Tradition. That which has been delivered or handed 
down from one age to another. Ip the Church, it refers to 
customs, forms, rites, ceremonies, &c., which have been 
transmitted by oral communication. The term, as used in 
Article XXXIV., is not to be understood as including mat- 
ters of faith, said by the Church of Rome to have been 
delivered by the Apostles, and from them preserved to 
the present day. The traditions for which the Article re. 
quires respect and obedience, are all those customs and cere- 
monies in established use, which are not expressly named in 
the Scriptures, nor in the written laws or rubrics of the 
Church, but stand simply on the ground of prescription. 



TRA 453 

Among these may be mentioned the alternate mode of read- 
ing the Psalter, — the custom of bowing in the Creed ; — the 
postures in various offices of the Church, — the use of a 
doxology and collects after sermon, — the practice of pouring 
the baptismal water on the head, — the quantity of the ele- 
ments consumed in the Eucharist, &c. &;c. These, though 
unwritten, are not the less obligatory when ascertained to be 
standing customs of the Church. The Article ordains that, 
" Whosoever, through his private judgment, willingly and 
purposely doth openly break the Traditions and Ceremonies 
of the Church, which be not repugnant to the word of God, 
and be ordained and approved by common authority, ought to 
be rebuked openly (that other may fear to do the like) as he 
that offendeth against the common Order of the Church," &c. 

Transept. The ground plan of Cathedrals and other 
principal Churches, was that of a cross, the shorter arms af 
which, or the transverse portion, constitute what is called the 
transepts. 

"Transitory Promises." See Article VII. ; the design 
of which is, to assert the perfect doctrinal harmony existing 
between the Old and New Testaments. There have not 
been warning those who, under pretence of a supreme rever- 
ence for the writings of the Apostles and Evangelists, have 
set a lighter value on the older portions of revelation, view- 
ing them as temporary and imperfect illustrations of the de- 
signs of God in the salvation of men ; and consequently, 
that the saints under the Jewish dispensation regarded the 
promises of God, not in their true spiritual sense, but as con* 
fined to temporal blessings only ; such for example, as the 
eventual possession of the land of Canaan, and the prosperity 
which should follow the triumphs of the expected Messiah, 
Hence the Article declares, that, so far from this being true, 
everlasting life is offered to mankind by Christ, both in the 
Old and New Testament, he being the only Mediator be- 
tween God and man ; and therefore, " they are not to bo 



454 TRi 

heard, which feign, that the Old Fathers [ancient saints 
under the patriarchal and Jewish dispensations] did look only 
for transitory promises,''^ i. e., for promises relating only to 
temporal blessings. 

Translation. In the Church of England, the removal 
of a Bishop from the charge of one Diocese to that of 
another, — in which case, the Bishop in his attestations, writes 
anno translationis nostrce, not anno consecrationis nostra. 
Also, in literature, the rendering of a work from the original 
into another language. The scriptural portions of the 
Prayer-book, are not all derived from the translation in com- 
mon use. For example, the Psalter is from the great English 
Bible, set forth and used in the time of Henry VIII., and 
Edward VI. 

The sentences in the Offertory and occasional verses in 
other parts of the Communion Office will be found to vary in 
language from the authorized version, being derived from the 
*• Bishop's Bible," in use when the office was framed. 

Transubstantiation. In the Romish Church, the doc- 
trine of the change of the elements in the Lord's Supper 
into the real body and blood of Christ. This is presumed to 
take place in an inscrutable manner, in the act of consecra- 
tion, or at the uttering of the Scripture words in the Mass, 
" This is my body," and " This is my blood." Against this 
the Episcopal Church protests, on the ground that it is not 
legitimately deducible from Scripture, — that it is contradictory 
to the evidence of the senses, — that it involves absurdities of 
the most extravagant nature, and subverts the design of the 
Lord's Supper as a commemorative ordinance. 

Trinity Sunday. On this day the Church particularly 
celebrates the great doctrine, that we worship three Persons, 
but one God. •' May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and 
the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be 
with us all evermore. Anient 2 Cor. xiii. 14. 
. " This festival is not of so ancient a date as the rest of the 



TRI 455 

great feasts of the year. As the praises of the Trinity were 
every day celebrated in the doxology, hymns, and creeds, the 
Church thought there was no necessity to set apart one par- 
ticular day for that which was done on each. But afterwards, 
when the Arians, and such like heretics, were spread abroad 
over the world, and had vented their blasphemies against this 
divine mystery, the wisdom of the Church thought it con- 
venient, that notwithstanding the blessed Trinity was daily 
commemorated in the public offices of devotion ; yet it should 
be the more solemn subject of one particular day's meditation. 

" The reason why this day was chosen as most seasonable 
for this solemnity, was, because our Lord had no sooner 
ascended into heaven, and the Holy Ghost descended upon 
the Church, but there ensued the full knowledge of the 
glorious and incomprehensible Trinity, which before that 
time was not so clearly known, 

" The Church therefore having devoted several foregoing 
solemn festivals to the honor of each several person by him- 
self, thereby celebrating the unity in Trinity, it was thought 
highly seasonable to conclude those solemnities, by adding to 
them one festival more, to the honor and glory of the whole 
Trinity together, therein celebrating the Trinity in unity." 

Trisagion, Trisagium, Tersanctus, or Seraphic 
Hymn. The hymn in the Communion Office, beginning, 
" Therefore with angels and archangels," &c. This cele- 
brated anthem is probably the most ancient and universally 
received of all Christian songs of praise. Its position in the 
established liturgies has always been, (as in the Prayer-book,) 
a little antecedent to the prayer of consecration ; and the 
hymn itself does not appear in any other Office than that of 
the communion. The antiquity of the Tersanctus, and its pre- 
valence in the liturgies of the Eastern and Western Churches, 
naturally lead to the conclusion that it was derived from the 
apostolic age, if not from the Apostles themselves. It is re- 
marked by Palmer, that no liturgy can be traced in antiquity, in 



456 TRU 

which the people did not unite with the invisible host of heaven 
in chanting these sublime praises of the most high God. From 
the testimony of Chrysostom and Cyril of Jerusaleni, we find 
that the seraphic hymn was used in the liturgy of Antioch 
and Jerusalem in the fourth century. The Apostolical Con- 
stitutions enable us to carry it back to the third century in the 
East. It is also spoken of by Gregory Nyssen, Cyril of 
Alexandria, Origen, Hilary of Poictiers, Isidore, and other 
Fathers, as having formed a part of the liturgy. In the 
liturgy of Milan it has been used from time immemorial, 
under the name of Trisagium; and in Africa, we learn from 
Tertullian that it was customary in the second century. 
Thus it appears that this hymn was universally prevalent in 
the Christian liturgies, from the very earliest period.* 

The Trisagium properly commences at the words " Holy, 
holy, holy," &c., from which the name is derived. The por- 
tion preceding this, is rather a preface or introduction than a 
part of the hymn itself, though by custom, the whole is now 
repeated as an act of praise. 

" Troth." This word occurs in the Prayer-book, only in the 
Marriage Service, thus : " and thereto I plight thee my troth; " 
that is, "thereto I most solemnly pledge thee my ^r?^^^ and 
sincerity.''^ Near the end of the same service, the Minister 
says, that the persons now married, have "pledged their 
troth, each to the other," or in other words, have promised, in 
the presence of God, to be tru^ and faithful to each other, 
and that they have been honest and sincere in the solemn con- 
tract just made. 

"Truth of our nature." See the 15th Article. 
"Christ in the truth of our nature, was made like unlo us in 
all things, sin only except," &c., i. e., in assuming our nature, 
he became truly and really all that is understood in the idea 
of humanity, sin excepted ; having a human body and a 

♦ Origines Liturgicse, I. p. 126. 



UNI 457 

reasonable human soul, and in union with these, that other 
and superior nature which characterized him as possessing 
"all the fulness of the Godhead, bodily. ^^ 

Twelfth day. The festival of Epiphany, being the 
twelfth day after Christmas. 

Twelfth day of the month. In the Evening service it 
is directed, that on the twelfth day of any month, the hymn 
after the second lesson, beginning, " God be merciful unto 
us," &c., is not to be used as on other days. The reason is, 
because it comes in the regular Psalms for the day, and would 
thus occasion an unnecessary and useless repetition. 



U. 



Unbaptized Adults. For the reasons why the Burial 
Service is not to be read over these, See Burial Service. 

*' Unhallowed uses." In the consecration of a Church 
or Chapel, the building is said to be separated henceforth 
" from all unhallowed, ordinary and common uses." The 
word " unhallowed," as here used, does not mean simply 
such things as are morally evil, impure, and contrary to the 
spirit of religion, which is the popular sense, but stiictly all 
such as are not hallowed, made sacred, and consecrated to 
holy purposes. This is a broader meaning than the former, 
of which it is inclusive, and the same sense is further carried 
out in the words " ordinary and common." 

Uninterrupted succession. The doctrine of a regular 
and continued transmission of ministerial authority, in the 
succession of Bishops, from the Apostles to any subsequent 
period. To understand this, it is necessary to premise, that 
the powers of the ministry can only come from one source-^ 
39 



458 UNINTERRUPTED SUCCESSION. 

the great Head of the Church. By his immediate act the 
Apostles or first Bishops were constituted, and they were 
empowered to send others, as he had sent them. Here then 
was created th6 first link of a chain, which was destined to 
reach from Christ's ascension to his second coming to judge 
the world. And as the ordaining power was confined ex- 
clusively to the Apostles, (See Episcopacy,) no other men or 
ministers could possibly exercise it, — from them alone was 
to be obtained the authority to feed and govern the Church 
of all the future. By the labors of the Apostles, the Church 
rapidly spread through the then known world, and with this 
there grew up a demand for an increase of pastors. Accord- 
ingly, the Apostles ordained elders or presbyters in all the 
churches ; but the powers given to these terminated in them- 
selves, — they could not communicate them to others. A few 
therefore were consecrated to the same rank held by the 
Apostles themselves, and to these the full authority of the 
Christian ministry was committed, qualifying them to ordain 
deacons and presbyters, and, when necessary, to impart their 
full commission to others. Here was the second link of the 
chain. . For example ; Paul, and the other Apostolic Bishops, 
were the first. Timothy, Titus, and others, who succeeded 
to the same ministerial powers, formed the second. A third 
series of Bishops were in like manner ordained by the se- 
cond, as time advanced, and a fourth series by the third. 
And here the reader will perceive what is meant by " unin- 
terrupted succession," viz., a perfect and unbroken trans- 
mission of the original ministerial commission from the 
Apostles to their successors, by the progressive and perpetual 
conveyance of their powers from one race of Bishops to 
another. The process thus established, was faithfully carried 
on in every branch of the universal Church. And as the 
validity of the ministry depended altogether on the legitimacy 
of its derivation from the Apostles, infinite care was taken 
in the consecration of Bishops, to see that the ecclesiastical 



UNINTERRUPTED SUCCESSION. 459 

pedigree of their consecrators was regular and indisputable. 
In case that any broke in upon the apostolical succession, by 
" climbing up some other way," they were instantly deposed. 
" A great part of the ancient Canons were made for regu- 
lating ordinations, especially those of Bishops, by providing 
that none should be ordained, except in extraordinary cases, 
by less than three Bishops of the same province ; that strange 
Bishops should not be admitted to join with those of the pro- 
vince on such occasions, but those only who were neighbours 
and well known, and the validity of whose orders was not 
disputed." The care thus taken in the early ages to pre- 
serve inviolate the succession from the Apostles, has been 
maintained in all Churches Episcopally constituted, down to 
the present day. There are in existence, catalogues of 
Bishops from the year 1839 back to the day of Pentecost. 
These catalogues are proofs of the importance always at- 
tached by the Church to a regular genealogy in her 
Bishops. And they, as well as the living Bishops themselves, 
are proofs of the reality of an apostolical succession. It 
has been well remarked, that " Christ Jesus has taken more 
abundant care to ascertain the succession of pastors in his 
Church, than ever was taken in relation to the Aaronical 
priesthood. For in this case, the succession is transmitted 
from seniors to juniors, by the most public and solemn action, 
or rather process of actions, that is ever performed in a 
Christian Church ; an action done in the face of the sun, 
and attested by great numbers of the most authentic wit- 
nesses, as consecrations always were. And I suppose it 
cannot bear any dispute, but that it is now more easily to be 
proved that the Archbishop of Canterbury was canonically 
ordained, than that any person now living is the son of him 
who is called his father ; and that the same might have been 
said of any Archbishop or Bishop that ever sat in that or 
any other Episcopal See during the time of his being 
Bishop." 



460 FNi 

Such then is uninterrupted succession ; a fact to which 
every Bishop, priest, and deacon, in the wide world, looks, 
as the ground of validity in his orders. Without this, all 
distinction between a clergyman and a layman is utterly 
vain, for no security exists that heaven will ratify the acts of 
an illegally constituted minister on earth. Without it, ordi- 
nation confers none but humanly derived powers ; and what 
those are worth, the reader may estimate when we tell him, 
that, on proof of a real fracture in the line of transmission 
between the first Bishops of the American Church and the 
inspired Apostles, the present Bishops will freely acknow- 
ledge themselves to be 7nere laymen, and humbly retire from 
their posts. 

Unity. Unity is one of the prominent characteristics of 
the Church of Christ ; and the maintenance of it, one of the 
most imperative duties of all who belong to that Church. 
That the Church is one body, — one holy temple, — one spirit- 
ual kingdom, we have already shown in a former article ; 
(See Schism,) and it is unnecessary here to repeat what has 
been said under that head. 

The ground of unity lies in an universal consent to the 
same faith and ministerial order, together with a submission 
to the general discipline of the Church. So far as the New 
Testament history extends, we find that unity in these was 
most scrupulously maintained. This resulted from the so- 
lemn importance attached to it by the Redeemer. In the 
Apostolical Epistles, exhortations to unity abound on almost 
every page, and these not delivered in a cold didactic man- 
ner, but with remarkable emphasis, as though the safety of 
the Church and the hopes of all Christians were identified 
with it. " Now I BESEECH you, brethren," says St. Paul, 
hy the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, " that ye all speak 
the same thing ; and that there be no divisions among you ; 
but that ye be jf^erfectly joined together in the same mind, and 
in the same judgment," Again. "Now I beseech you, 



UNITY. 



461 



brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences con- 
trary to the doctrine which ye have learned ; and avoid 
them." And even the beloved Apostle, rouses into a strain 
of holy indignation against those who interfered with the 
unity of the Church, commanding all not to receive them 
into their houses, neither to bid them * God speed,' at the 
risk of being accounted partakers of their evil deeds. And 
when we turn to St. Peter and St. Jude, and witness their 
vehement and scorching accusations of these enemies of the 
body of Christ, we can only explain it by the heinousness of 
the crime committed, and the fact that the Apostles spoke 
" as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." The Christians 
of the following ages followed the course marked out for 
them by inspired men. Hence the Canons of the Church 
Catholic abound with regulations respecting unity ; and the 
writers of the Fathers are full of exhortations to the same 
effect. Sectarianism had no shelter, but was frowned upon 
as a fearful crime. All branches of the Church were in 
communion with each other. Every clergyman was a min- 
ister of the Church universal. Every member of the Church 
was entitled to his privileges, in whatever quarter of the world 
he might travel. See Communion, Church. This was evi- 
dently what Christ intended, and what his gospel inculcated. 
Why then has unity since been banished, as though another 
gospel had been revealed, — as though it were no longer in- 
cumbent on Christians, — as though " variance, strife, seditions 
and heresies " were now rather fruits of the Spirit than 
works of the flesh ? Three hundred years ago, sectarianism 
was well-nigh unknown. The Latin and Oriental Churches, 
it is true, had long been sundered ; and on those who brought'^ 
about the disaster by jealousy and contention, let the blame 
rest. Still, what hindered the reformed from maintaining 
" the unity of the spirit, in the bond of peace ?" The Church 
of England, as was confessed by all parties, retained the 
39* 



462 TjNi 

Apostolic foundation, in the struggle with her desperate foe. 
What then could sanction the creation of rival communions 1 
If she held forth the gospel in its integrity, — the sacraments 
in their purity, — the ministry with its divine sanction, and 
presented within her fold all the appointed means of salva- 
tion ; by what plea could disunion be vindicated ? Necessity 
was alleged. The sight of a robe of lawn was accounted a 
just excuse for schism. A thousand little points of ceremony, 
innocent as the dew-drop, were so many reasons why there 
should be " divisions and oifer.ces." Here dissent took its 
rise, and its fruitful consequences may now be " known and 
read of all men." What has been gained? No good but 
what the Church was qualified to give in fourfold abundance. 
No virtue has thriven the better ; no truth has shone 
brighter ; and no consolation has soothed the wounded spirit 
more tenderly than under the nursing care of the Church. 
And what is the prospect ? Let the intelligent non-episco- 
palian look to Germany as the type, with Deism (under a 
softer name) stalking into its pulpits. Let him look to the 
Unitarian Churches of England, most of them originally 
such as Matthew Henry's was. Let him turn to puritan New- 
England, and inquire the pedigree of its Socinianism. Let 
him take up the startling indications which have been given, 
of an importation of foreign Rationalism ; and then judge 
whether schism does not contain within it the elements of 
early disease and mortality — a liability and a destiny too 
awfully corroborative of the truth, that they " who have sown 
the wind shall reap the whirlwind." 

Universal Church. The Church of God "throughout 
all the world," — or, as it is called in the Nicene Creed, the 
"one Catholic and Apostolic Church." See Church and 
•Catholic. 



463 



V. 



Venite, extjltemus. (" O come, let us sing," &zc,) This 
is the noble and inspiring anthem which stands at the head 
of the morning praises of the Church. The place which it 
occupies is admirably chosen. The people have just been 
warned to " repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," — 
and that "the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit." The 
exhortation has been given to approach " with a pure heart 
and humble voice, unto the throne of the heavenly grace." 
The penitent confession is made. The pardoning mercy of 
God is proclaimed. . Consolation is poured into the wounded 
heart, and the fountains of gratitude overflow with praise. 
And here, while the aspirations of the soul are fresh, warm, 
and vigorous, the Church, in all " the beauty of holiness," 
brings forth the golden lyre, and we are caught up in spirit, 
as it were, into a purer firmament ; and in strains which once 
nerved the souls of martyrs, we " come before God's pre- 
sence with thanksgiving, and heartily rejoice in the strength 
of our salvation." So sung the Church in the days of Basil 
and Chrysostom. So sung the Church when Africa bowed 
the knee with her Augustine. And so did the Church begin 
her songs in her youthful days, when the valiant Ambrose 
" marked well her bulwarks," — and fought her battles. 
They are gone ; but the anthems of the Church remain, 
immortal like their source ; and in this, as in many a divine 
Psalm, the voice of joy is sent to the troubled spirit, — the in* 
vigorating sound of praise thriHs the fainting heart, and 
David, the signally blessed, is endeared and allied to us as 
the chief musician of the Christian Israel. 

In the English Prayer-book, the Venite comprehends the 
whole of the ninety-fifth Psalm. But the latter part being 
considered as referring chiefly to the condition of the Jews, 
has been omitted in the American revisal, and its. place sup. 



464 VES 

plied by two verses from the Psalm following. In the Form 
of Prayer for the Visitation of Prisoners, and in that for 
Thanksgiving-day, a substitute is provided, to be used in- 
stead of the Venite. 

Versicles. Short or diminutive verses, said alternately 
by the Minister and people ; such for example as the fol- 
lowing : — 

Min. O Lord, show thy mercy upon us ; 

Ans, And grant us thy salvation. 

Min. O God, make clean our hearts within us ; 

Ans. And take not thy Holy Spirit from us. 
" Very." Used in the Prayer-book and in theological 
writings, in the sense of true, real, indisputahle. Thus, in 
Article II. it is said, " The Son, which is the Word of the 
Father * * * * the very and eternal God," &c. " One 
Christ, very God, and very man." The same expression oc- 
curs in the 5th Article. In the Nicene Creed, Christ is de- 
clared to be " very God of very God," — the Son being 
equally true God with the Father, of whose essence or sub- 
stance he partakes. Latimer says in one of his sermons, 
" Christ giveth everlasting life, ergo, he is very natural [real] 
God."* " You must not think as the Arians did, who said 
that he was not a very man, nor suffered very pains upon the 
cross."* "Believe steadfastly that he' was a very natural 
man, sin only excepted."* 

Vestments. The robes and other ecclesiastical garments 
worn by the Clergy when performing the services of the 
Church. See Clerical garments. Also, a particular gar- 
ment worn over the Alb in the Church of England, at the 
administration of the holy Communion. This was originally 
in the form of a coat without sleeves ; but was afterwards 
enriched with embroidery, &c.f 



♦ Sermon on the Birth of Christ. t Wheatly, 



VIA 



465 



Vestry. In every duly organized Church several per- 
sons, called collectively the "Vestry," are annually appoint- 
ed to take charge of such things as concern the temporal 
interests of the Church, and which do not fall within the 
compass of the Minister's duty. The number of persons 
composing a Vestry, varies considerably in different churches, 
and is not subject to any general law of the Church. 

Some of the duties of the Vestry are, to invite and engage 
a Minister when the Church is vacant — to make provision 
for the regular and orderly performance of divine worship — 
to take charge of the Church property, and to act in all other 
matters pertaining to the temporal concerns of the Church. 

The Vestry meet once a month, or at any other time they 
may appoint, for the transaction of business in relation to the 
Church. This is called a " Vestry meeting." 

Vestry. See Vestry-room. 

Vestry-man. One of those persons constituting the 
Vestry of a Church. See Vestry, 

Vestry-room, or Vestry. A room either in the Church- 
building, or contiguous to it, in which the Vestry hold their 
meetings, and which is also used by the Clergyman as a 
retiring room in which to robe and prepare himself for the 
services of the Church. 

Viaticum. The provision made for a journey. Hence, 
in the ancient Church, both baptism and the eucharist were 
called Viatica, "because they were equally esteemed men's 
necessary provision and proper armour, both to sustain and 
conduct them safe on^their way in their passage through this 
world to eternal life." * The administration of baptism is 
thus spoken of by St. Basil and Gregory Nazianzen, as the 
" giving to men their Viaticum, or provision for their journey 
to another world;" and under this impression, it was fre- 
quently delayed till the hour of death, being esteemed as a 

* Bingham II f. p. 122. 



466 



Tin 



final security and safeguard to future happiness. More 
strictly, however, the term viaticum denoted the eucharist 
given to persons in immediate danger of death, and in this sense 
it is still occasionally used. The 13th Canon of the Nicene 
Council, ordains that none " be deprived of his perfect and 
most necessary viaticum, when he departs out of this life." 
Several other canons of various councils are to the same 
effect, providing also for the giving of the viaticum under 
peculiar circumstances, as to persons in extreme weakness, 
delirium, or subject to canonical discipline. 

Though the Church, in her benevolent attention to her sick 
members, has retained the practice of administering to them 
the communion, or viaticum, yet it is not to be inferred, that 
she attributes to this an absolute saving efficacy, though some 
have superstitiously deduced this from the literal sense of the 
word. The holy communion is indeed the most comfortable 
ordinance of which the dying penitent can partake ; but its 
benefits depend, in that trying hour, on the existence of the 
same spiritual qualifications which should always distinguish 
the Christian at the reception of these " holy mysteries." 

Vicar. In the Church of England, "one who has a 
spiritual promotion or living under the parson, [or Rector,] 
and is so denominated, as officiating vice ejus, in his place or 
stead." 

Vicarage. The benefice or situation held by a Vicar. 

Vigil. See Eve. 

"Violent hands." For the reasons why the Burial 
service is not to be read over those who have laid violent 
hands on themselves. See Burial service. 

Virgin Mary. The mother of our Blessed Redeemer. 
Among the saints, a distinguished place must ever be assign- 
ed to one so signally favored by the Most High. And a 
devout mind will not scruple to venerate the memory of her, 
whose life was made illustrious by the fulfilment of ancient 
prophecy — by the realization of the promise given in Eden, 



VIS 467 

and in the maternal care of the infancy and youth of the 
long-expected Redeemer of the world. 

In memory of the Virgin Mary, the Church observes the 
two festivals of the Annunciation, and the Purification, both 
of which have reference also to our Divine Lord himself In 
this provision of the Church, two errors are avoided. 1st. 
That which denies to the Virgin mother the respect claimed 
for her in Scripture, and which has always been shown by 
the Church universal. 2d. That of the Romish Church, 
which by prayers, invocations, litanies, &c., exalts her to a 
rank scarcely inferior to that of a divine Being. 

Visitation, Episcopal. An official visit made by a 
Bishop to a Church, generally for the purpose of administer- 
ing Confirmation, Ordination, and Consecration, and for per- 
forming such other duties as belong to the Episcopal Office, 
In the Church of England, the term is also used for the 
annual visit of the Archdeacon to his district. 

Visitation of the Sick. In the appointment of a form to 
be used in private houses in behalf of the sick, the Church 
makes provision for carrying out the inspired command : " Is 
any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the 
Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil 
in the name of the Lord ; and the prayer of faith shall save 
the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he have 
committed sins, they shall be forgiven him." James v. 14, 15. 
From this, as well as from the benevolent spirit of Chris- 
tianity, and the example of its divine author, we learn that 
this duty "is not barely a point of civility, but an act of reli- 
gion, and a necessary duty which God requires of us; * * * 
for then the parties have most need of comfort, advice, and 
prayers, to support them and procure help for them, as also 
to prepare them for their last and great account." * 

The anointing spoken of by St. James, was connected, in 



♦ Dean Comber. 



468 VISITATION. 

the apostolic age, with the miraculous gift of healing, and 
was designed for the benefit of the body, while the prayers 
chiefly contemplated the welfare of the soul. But the power 
of miraculous healing having ceased in the Church, the 
anointing is no longer continued, — the sign is disused, 
because the thing signified is taken away. See Extreme 
Unction-. 

As there is no specific form provided for this duty by 
inspired authority, the Church has set forth an office suited to 
the occasion. The sources from which this office has been 
drawn, are the devotions of the ancient Church, — the pious 
labors of the framers of our liturgy, — and, in the American 
Prayer-book, the writings of Bishop Jeremy Taylor. 

It has been a question, how far a Clergyman is bound to 
attend on the sick without an actual invitation. In answer 
to this, two things are clear, viz., that by the precept of Scrip- 
ture, if anjT- one be sick, he is to " send for the elders of the 
Church ; and again, the Rubric expressly states, that " When 
any Person is sick, notice shall be given thereof io the Min- 
ister of the Parish," This will appear highly reasonable 
when it is considered, that even in a parish of moderate size, 
cases of indisposition may ripen into alarming sickness, 
before the pastor can be aware of the fact, without direct 
information communicated to him. And even then, " a spon- 
taneous visit" may, for many reasons, be ill-timed and unac- 
■ceptable, to say nothing of the " personal humiliation involved 
in the offer and rejection of religious aid." Bishop White 
was decidedly of opinion that the visit of the Clergyman should 
be preceded by an invitation, in all ordinary cases. But yet, 
he adds, " if it be known to him, from conversation with the 
parishioner when in health, that he conceives of there being 
a propriety in such visits in the time of sickness, advantage 
should be taken of such a circumstance. Besides this, there 
will occasionally occur, in conversation with various friends 
and connexions of the sick, opportunities of insinuating how 



vuL 469 

readily any proposal of such an intercourse would be com- 
plied with." * 

Visitation of the blessed Virgin Mary. A festival of the 
Church of Rome, instituted about A. D. 1338, by Pope 
Urban, in memory of the journey " which the mother of 
our Lord took into the mountains of Judea, to visit the mother 
of St. John the Baptist." 

"Void." In the Church of England, a benefice or parish 
is said to be void, when destitute of a pastor or incum- 
bent. 

Voluntary. In Church music, an instrumental piece, 
such as is usually performed on the Organ at the beginning 
or ending of divine service. 

The name probably arose from the fact of these effusions 
being generally extemporaneous or voluntary, at least when 
attempted by accomplished organists. It is now used in a 
wider sense to comprehend written compositions or exercises, 
in both the free and strict styles, having the same general 
design. 

"Vulgar tongue." Before the Reformation, the Church 
Services were performed in the Latin language, and as might 
be expected, were on this account little calculated to inform 
and interest the people. The Reformers had, therefore, the 
double task of compiling and translating those parts of our 
service which have come down to us from a remote antiquity. 
This will account for the frequent mention, in the English 
rubrics, of the language in which the Offices of the Church 
are to be performed; — as for example, in the case of the 
hymns after the Lessons in Evening Prayer, the rubrics state 
that they shall be repeated '' in English''^ — or in the language 
spoken by the people, usually called the "vulgar," or com- 
mon " tongue." The 24th Article also declares that " It is 
a thing plainly repugnant to the Word of God and the cus- 

• 

♦ Bishop White, On the Duties of the Public Ministry, pp. 234-5. 
40 



470 WAR 

torn of the Primitive Church, to have public Prayer in the 
Church, or to minister the Sacraments in a tongue not under- 
standed of the People." In agreement with this is the require- 
ment in the rubric at the head of the Office for Infant Bap- 
tism, which makes it obligatory, " that baptism be ministered 
in the Vulgar tongue^ * It is not, however, to be understood 
that the Church interdicts the use of other languages in pri- 
vate devotions, or among those who are familiar with them : 
for in the Preface to the English Prayer-book i-s the reserva- 
tion, that " It is not meant, but that when men say Morning 
and Evening Prayer privately, they may say the same m any 
language that they themselves do understand.'''' 



w. 



Wafer. In the Romish Church, the bread used in the 
holy Eucharist, which is made in the form of thin round 
cakes, resembling a large wafer. 

Warden. See Church-warden. 

" Warning of the Holy Communion." The notice or ex- 
hortation which is read on the Sunday, or on a Holy-day, 
preceding the time of celebrating the Holy Communion, in 
which, the Church invites all " who are religiously and devoutly 
disposed," to be in readiness to partake of that solemn Sa- 
crament ; and also warns the unprepared of the " sore pun- 
ishment which hangeth over their heads," for their ingrati- 
tude, when they wilfully abstain from the Lord's Table. 

There are set forth in the Prayer-book, two of these Ex- 
hortations. The first of these is used before all ordinary 
occasions of administering the Communion. The other is to 
^ • 

' English Prayer-book. 



woR 471 

be read, " in case he [the Minister] shall see the People neg- 
ligent to come to the Holy Communion." 

" Warrant," or Warranty. Authority, proof, security, 
or a written testimony to the truth and validity of a doctrine, 
&c. Thus the Church declares in Article VIII, that the Ni- 
cene and Apostles' Creeds " may be proved by most certain 
warrants of holy Scripture :" and in Article XXII, we read 
that " the Romish doctrine concerning Purgatory, &c., is a 
fond thing vainly invented, and grounded upon no warranty 
of Scripture." 

Wednesday, Ash. See Ash Wednesday. 
Whit-Sunday. One of the great festivals of the Church, 
held in commemoration of the descent of the Holy Ghost on 
the day of Pentecost. It occurs ten days after Holy 
Thursday, or Ascension day. 

" The reason of this day being called Whit-Sunday, or 
more properly, White-Sunday, is, because on this day, being 
a remarkable time for baptism, the catechumens, who were 
then baptized, as well as those who had been baptized before 
at Easter, appeared in the ancient Church in white gar- 
ments." 

It has also been thought that the name was symbolical of 
those vast diffusions of light and knowledge which were then 
shed upon the Apostles, in order to the enlightening of a 
world then in the darkness of superstition and idolatry. 

" Wholesome." Sound, useful, safe, favourable to health. 
See the 11th Article, where it is said, "that we are justified 
by faith only, is a most wholesome doctrine," — i. e., condu- 
cive to spiritual vigour and health. In Psalm xx. 6, in the 
Prayer-book, there is another example in point ; " — with 
the wholesome strength of his right hand." The Bible trans- 
lation substitutes the word " saving, ^^ 

Worship. Besides the usual application of this term to 
the supreme homage and devotion due only to the Divine 
Being, it is occasionally used in the Bible and Prayer-book, 



472 woR 

to denote honour, respect, and reverence given to men. 
Thus, in the !i4th Psalm it is said, that " the Lord will give 
grace and worship [favor and dignity] to them that live a 
godly life." In Luke, xiv. 10, we read that the humble 
guest " shall have worship in the presence of those who sit 
at meat with him." And in 1 Chronicles, xxix. 20, it is said 
that all the congregation " bowed down their heads, and wor- 
shipped the Lord and the King." 

In the Order of Matrimony in the English Prayer-book, 
the husband promises to worship his wife, that is, to render to 
her all that respect and honor to which she is entitled by 
the command of God, and the station she holds. 

As a further illustration of this somewhat antiquated use 
of the word, we give the following from Wiclif : " God saith 
on this wise * Worship thy father and thy mother, that thou 
mayest be of long life upon earth.' And both nature and 
reason will this. What man or woman shouldst thou wor- 
ship, if thou shouldst not worship them that brought thee 
forth, and loved and helped thee, when thou mightest not, 
neither couldest help thyself? And St. Augustine saith, it is 
a brutish condition for a child to forget to worship and to 
love his father and his mother. Three manners of fathers 
we should worship. The first is the Father who createth 
from nothing ; the second is him that is our father by na- 
ture ; the third is the father by age, and especially by 
virtues."* 

"Worthily lamenting." See the first Collect for Ash- 
Wednesday, — " that we, worthily lamenting our sins and 
acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain * * * perfect 
remission and forgiveness." The term worthy is used in the 
Prayer-book as in the Scriptures to denote, not actual merit 
and desert, but that state of mind to which God has promised 
his blessing and favor. To lament worthily is to grieve for 

* Wiclif 's Poor Caitiff". 



WRE 



47:^» 



sin under an earnest and sincere apprehension of its offcn- 
siveness to God. 

Wretchlessness. a word of nearly the same meaning 
with "recklessness," — implying, perhaps, a still more un- 
bounded and heinous indulgence in gross sin. " A most 
dangerous downfall, whereby the Devil doth thrust them 
either into desperation, or into loretclilessness of most unclean 
living, no less perilous than desperation." Article XVII. 



THE END. 



ERRATA. 

Page 90, 11th line from the bottom, for hautboys, read hautbois. 
Page 289, 11th line from the top, for operatum, read operato. 



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